USU Graduate Student Answers Questions About COVID-19... One Call at a Time
By Vivian Mason
“What can I do to protect myself from getting COVID until I can get a vaccine?” “If my spouse is being tested, do I need to be tested?” “Where can I get tested?” “How do I take care of my symptoms?” These questions and more have been common for many of us during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, U.S. Army Capt. Peter Bizon, now a Global Health Engagement graduate student at the Uniformed Services University and nurse practitioner, jumped in to help address the pleas of more than 400,000 people looking for information through a call center run by the Loudoun County Health Department in northern Virginia.
At the start of the pandemic in early 2020, the Loudoun County Health Department sent out a requestBizon continues on to say that working in a call center requires a wealth of specific skills, such as a strong knowledge of the subject matter, patience, attention to detail and organization, empathy, adaptability, clear and effective communication, the ability to handle unexpected roadblocks, and staying calm under pressure. As a nurse practitioner and EMT, Bizon was uniquely qualified to take on the challenge.
“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Bizon maintains. “There’s a lot more going on in a call center than simply answering phone calls. We have to think outside the box on a daily basis so we can provide the best outcomes for the most callers. Depending on the call volume, there were usually two to four people per shift answering calls.”
With a greater influx of calls and more people searching for factual information, Bizon began to manage a team of volunteers as an appointed supervisor of incoming calls to take care of the high demand for general information about COVID. His team was staffed by registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Bizon’s leadership even allowed for extra time for “swab events” to give COVID tests. Even in the management position, however, Bizon continued to make time to address questions on the phone lines for those in need.
“People still had questions about the virus,” Bizon elaborates. “Where should they go? How do they get results? An important part of my job was to remain calm and listen because callers might be struggling with their own issues and illnesses. It was essential to speak clearly and listen intently.”
Safety at the call center was just as important to the staff. Everyone adhered to standardized social distancing, washed their hands, and wore masks. There was no equipment sharing of any kind, shifts and breaks were staggered to avoid crowded work areas, and all high touch areas, common spaces, and rest rooms were routinely cleaned and disinfected.
Bizon admits to working more than 350 hours during his volunteer stint at the call center. Normally, he would answer about 15 to 20 calls per six-hour weekday morning shift.
From his own experience, Bizon believes that callers resonate with the personal touch of interacting with a real person.
“I remember speaking with an elderly woman,” Bizon says, “who had a heart ailment along with diabetes and a few other underlying conditions. She was upset about COVID and didn’t know quite what to do. After advising her, she said, ‘Thanks for the help and thanks so much for listening.’ Thus, in my opinion, it seems really all about listening during these trying times. People just want to connect and be helped.”
When asked about his most memorable call, Bizon finds it difficult to think of any particular one that stands out.
“I know it sounds silly,” he remembers, “but I always introduced myself as, ‘Hello, Peter Bizon, nurse practitioner. I’m willing to listen.’ But, a lot of people would reply, ‘What I have to say is beyond your understanding. I need to talk to a doctor.’ Well, that always made me chuckle, but I was still just happy to help out.”