UnitedHealth Group and its UnitedHealthcare and Optum businesses are celebrating Nurses Week from May 6 to May 12. The annual event provides opportunities to pause and recognize all that nurses do to care for the communities they serve. This year, their heroic work is more vital than ever while the world battles a global pandemic.
“The COVID-19 crisis has inspired nurses to respond to the call of duty,” said Mary Jo Jerde, RN, senior vice president, UnitedHealth Group Center for Clinician Advancement. “Nurses provide critical services, compassion and clinical expertise on the front lines of health care. I’m grateful for the valuable contributions of my fellow nurses and their efforts to support the health and wellness needs of those across the world.”
Nurse Spotlight
Millions of nurses worldwide have risen to the challenge of providing courageous and compassionate care during the coronavirus pandemic. In honor of Nurses Week, we're sharing a story of one nurse who was made for this moment in history.
Commitment to Health Care Workers
“Health care workers are on the leading edge of this pandemic, selflessly caring for patients in need while putting themselves in harm’s way day in and day out,” said Dr. Richard Migliori, chief medical officer, UnitedHealth Group.
To ensure we’re caring for those who care for us, here are a few of UnitedHealth Group’s many commitments to our nation’s health care workforce.
- Partnerships and $5 million in pledges to support the CDC Foundation and Direct Relief in acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies for health care workers and the American Nurses Foundation in development of a virtual support system that promotes nurses’ mental well-being and resilience.
- Redeployment and training of thousands of nurses to meet unmet needs for providing critical remote care due to social distancing orders, triaging 911 phone calls and conducting COVID-19 tests during the outbreak’s peak in New York City, and using technology to connect nursing home patients with their families.
- Pioneering development of a noninvasive, self-administered COVID-19 test that streamlines testing, reduces PPE usage and increases safety of health care workers.
About Nurses Week
National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12 to coincide with Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nightingale is considered the founder of modern nursing and her lessons during the Crimean War to wash hands, maintain standards of cleanliness, learn from data and more are still being applied today during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of National Nurses Week is to celebrate the nursing profession and recognize the contributions that nurses make to the communities they serve. For details, visit the American Nurses Association.
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