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Updated: November 15, 2020 / 2020 Health Care Heroes

Michael Wolpensinger

Michael Wolpensinger, Executive Director,, Support Services Greenwich Hospital

 

Honoree Category: Healthcare Staff


Michael Wolpensinger’s ability to mobilize his team helped to physically transform Greenwich Hospital from a 206-bed hospital to a 277-bed facility that was fully equipped to safely care for COVID-19 patients while providing essential care to patients who did not have the disease.

When news broke in March of the COVID-19 outbreak, Wolpensinger and his team of carpenters, electricians and power plant engineers helped establish a drive-up specimen-collection center.

As the number of COVID-19 patients skyrocketed, Wolpensinger’s team expanded overall capacity by 71 beds to care for patients who did not have the coronavirus in separate quarters.

Clinical spaces were reconfigured into medical units and a fully equipped tent was erected outside the emergency department to triage patients.

Expanding the 11-bed intensive care unit to 30 beds posed multiple challenges. ICU rooms have glass doors, enabling staff to easily visualize patients.

The rooms being converted to ICU rooms had solid wooden doors, requiring staff to risk exposure when entering to check on patients.

To resolve this issue, staff inserted Plexiglas panels in the doors to increase visualization of patients, thereby protecting staff and preserving PPE.

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