Mary Campbell-Pittman, RN, MSN, CCM
A police officer was hospitalized in the ICU with shortness of breath secondary to a COVID diagnosis. He required ICU care for several weeks including mechanical ventilation and intubation to protect his airway leading to eventual tracheostomy and gastrostomy tube placement. He also endured two near-cardiac arrest incidents, from which he recovered. The adjuster referred the case to Genex case management, specifically requesting Mary Meagan Campbell-Pittman due to her excellent reputation and ICU nursing background. Pittman quickly assessed the officer’s status and facilitated communication between the hospital staff, adjuster and family, which had been disrupted at the time due to the facility’s COVID precautions. The man gradually improved and, after two-and-a-half months in the ICU, was weaned off the ventilator and discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Despite his condition, the officer was determined to return to duty and quickly progressed to outpatient therapy. However, another complication emerged when the officer reported severe shoulder pain. Pittman referred him to an orthopedic specialist, who diagnosed the officer with brachial plexus caused by prolonged restraint use to prevent him from removing his IVs while in ICU care. After undergoing extensive research and making numerous phone calls, Pittman found an orthopedic specialist who recommended a rehabilitation program that would avoid surgery, allow the officer to rehabilitate faster and reduce claim costs. The officer was eventually able to return to modified duty with a goal of full-duty release expected after continued work conditioning.
Listen as Pittman dives into the case which returned a critically ill police officer back to duty.
