Page 43 - Healthcare News Sept.-Oct. 2020

HBy George O’Brien
elen Gobeil had recently relocated to West- ern Mass. from the other side of the state, and was looking for work.
She remembers seeing the small, as in small — maybe two lines — ad in the paper
for an administrative assistant at Visiting Angels in West Springfield, a home-care provider, and becoming intrigued enough to apply — and prevail in that search.
She would eventually grow into the position and became adept at handling the many responsibilities within the job description, said her boss, Michele Anstett, president and CEO of the company, adding quickly that this was a good thing because all those talents would be needed when COVID-19 arrived in Western Mass.
Indeed, every aspect of this job, from recruiting
“Not only has she handled
this crisis with extraordinary competence and resilience, she has remained a positive force in the lives of clients, their families, and caregivers.”
caregivers to consulting with new clients; from matching caregivers with these clients to scheduling regular care and coordinating care in emergency situations, would become more difficult. Much more difficult.
And there would be new responsibilities added to that already-long list, including the daunting task of providing PPE for those caregivers and providing a compassionate ear to family members coping with something they would struggle to get both hands around.
Anstett summed up Gobeil’s work during this ultra- challenging time by describing her as a “hidden hero of COVID-19.”
By that, she meant she worked mostly, but not
HEALTHCARE HEROES OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
Helen Gobeil
Staffing Supervisor, Visiting Angels
This Administrator Provided a Steady Hand in Rough Seas
OCTOBER 2020 A31
2020 HEALTHCARE HEROES