Renee Halfhill: From SF, Taking Care of Frontline Therapists

Renee Halfhill, president and CEO of Blue Sky Therapy, is hanging tough. You can read more about Blue Sky at its website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

We’re focused on taking care of the frontline healthcare teams who are truly the pillars holding all of us up right now! We are incredibly grateful and proud of them! We’ve been working with local businesses to provide meals for those on the front lines.

Our therapists continue to work in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, outpatient clinics and home health services. Our highly sanitized outpatient clinic remains open, too. In response to the current environment, we’ve also launched teletherapy. Teletherapy is our solution to provide our therapy services via your own computer, with our therapists, in your own home. (Read more here.)

A longer-term goal in response to COVID-19 is in-home therapy, which enables patients to restore and maintain their health in the comfort of their homes. Our therapists will come directly to the patient’s home, which will eliminate the burden of transportation and other barriers. This will hopefully reduce the number of visits to hospitals and large clinics.

How about your personal life? 

Well, I came out to the San Francisco area to visit my son in late February and I am still here.  Being so close to one of the early U.S. “hot spots,” I felt it was a social responsibility to stay put, so we have done just that. 

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

We are working hard to keep our therapy teams educated and motivated.  We are on the front line of skilled nursing facilities, assisted livings, in-home therapy services and clinics so we have the obligation to continue to provide for and protect our most highly fragile population.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?  

It’s really simple: #stayhome unless you have a good reason to be out.