Akron Children’s Taafe: Harnessing Teamwork, Humor

Lisa Taafe, clinical administrative director of Akron Children’s Hospital in Boardman, is coming back strong. You can read more about Akron’s Children’s Hospital at its website.

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

Many hours were spent preparing for the unknown; trying to portray a calm demeanor, while others were very concerned and stressed about what the future would hold. Every day was a new adventure…not always a good adventure, but an adventure none the less. Humor was sometimes the savior to the day. I never thought I could be so busy with so few patients coming to the hospital. 

I was not able to work from home, but many of my colleagues did. It really changed the work environment when everyone was not present. To ensure continued camaraderie and connectivity, we held some video group meetings after hours to touch base with everyone and make sure they were doing okay with the changes. Many employees stepped up and performed jobs that they didn’t normally do. They did not complain, but instead pitched in; they just wanted to help in some way.

How about your personal life?

My personal life has changed since COVID-19, mostly for the good. Under the governor’s rule, the daycares closed and therefore, we began watching our grandchildren more. Thank goodness that my husband retired earlier this year; he was there to pick up this role! One of our young adult children was ordered to work from home, so he moved back into our house to work. Even though I couldn’t see many of our extended family members, I did get to spend more uninterrupted time with those in our home. We did FaceTime with my other children and grandchild that we couldn’t visit. Thank goodness for virtual technology. We spent a lot of evenings discussing the economy, with a glass of wine of course. I did spend more hours at work than normal, so it was nice to have the extra set of hands to help around the house. The tough part now is deciding where it is safe to go and what is safe to do.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

This question has a more difficult answer. I really prefer to listen to others and do things for others than to do things for myself. I make attempts at mindful meditation in the late evening hours after everyone goes to bed. It is my peaceful time. Everyone knows that I firmly believe that you have control of your frame-of-mind. My thought is: life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Stay positive!

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Remind everyone to be kind to others…this too shall pass. Take some deep breaths (with your mask on I guess). LOL!