Meet the Mary Bridge nurse who personifies MultiCare and Mary Bridge’s mission
The award recognizes civilians who deployed with National Disaster Medical Services programs for either 30 consecutive or 60 cumulative days. It’s given to 1,400 individuals under the authority of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD.
McWhirter is a pediatric critical care nurse who has been on the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and transport teams at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital for the past 23 years.
She is also an employee of the National Disaster Medical System and serves on the Washington-1 Disaster Medical Team (WA-1 DMAT), which is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, a federal program run by the Department of Health and Human Services that provides aid during disasters or public health emergencies.
As part of the WA-1 DMAT team, McWhirter was deployed to COVID-19 hot spots to provide front-line nursing care where it was most needed. Her deployments brought her to California, serving in Oakland and Compton.
“I heard a quote once that ‘Grief is like glitter,’” says McWhirter. “It’s hard to brush off and it’s messy, and also sweet and bitter. I realized this was very true after I came home from Compton. The nurses and staff at that hospital were covered in the glitter of grief — the patients were, too. I’m assuming the families were as well, but of course I don’t know because no families were allowed in the hospital.”
In September at the National Disaster System Training Summit, McWhirter was recognized for her service with the COVID-19 Pandemic Civilian Service Medal.
“All of us at Mary Bridge Children’s are so incredibly proud of Jodi for receiving this national recognition,” says Jeff Poltawsky, president and market leader of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Network. “She is an exemplary nurse for our most critical patients in our PICU, and her work throughout her deployments during the height of COVID-19 is a testament to her dedication and compassion. Jodi truly lives out our mission of partnering for healing and a healthy future.”
McWhirter says that the perseverance of staff during the worst times was what inspired her the most during her deployments.
“They kept coming back,” she says. “I’m so utterly proud to have worked alongside them. I brought home some of my own glitter, although through the support of my family and friends, it’s mostly worn off now. Every once in a while, I find a few pieces — but it just shows that I’m human. I’m very proud to be a nurse!”
Thank you, Jodi, for everything you do — both for our patients here at Mary Bridge and for those you cared for on your deployments.