COVID-19 has caused changes for all of us: changes in how we travel, changes in how we think about germs and changes in how we interact with each other. For one Texas Health Resources employee, COVID-19 caused a major change in how he does his life’s best work.
John Reed, Texas Health Hospital Frisco, was a scrub tech in operating rooms (ORs) throughout the country for 26 years, including at Texas Health Frisco. After COVID-19 hit and elective surgeries were put on hold, Reed joined the Facilities Management team – and he’s never looked back.
What did you want to be as a child, and how did you ultimately choose your career?
Starting at age 5, I knew I wanted to be in the military. My grandfather was a member of the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion in World War II, and I idolized him. I went into the Marine Corps after high school, but then busted up my knee and had to medically retire. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. While I had been in high school, my grandfather had been a custom homebuilder in Lubbock and had taught me how to build cabinets. I thought about going into carpentry, but he was retired when I left the military. My mom was a nurse and suggested I become a scrub tech, so that’s what I did.
I joined Texas Health Frisco as a scrub tech in early 2020, right after it opened. When COVID-19 hit and elective surgeries were put on hold, we were told we could work in other clinical areas of the hospital. I thought about it, and then emailed my manager and the director of Surgical Services. I told them I had a particular skill set that I thought could be helpful in another area of the hospital. I talked to the director of Facilities Management, and he decided to give me a chance and let me join his department on a temporary basis, until COVID died down. I realized that this is where I should have been the whole time. I’ve been doing carpentry since I was 8 years old and got my first tool set. My manager was willing to give me a shot, and I’ve never gone back to the OR.
What is a typical workday like for you?
I start by checking on any work orders that have come and seeing if any are high priority. We then run through a series of daily environment of care and life safety checks to make sure everything is functioning properly. Then I spend the day taking care of issues identified in the work orders.
What is your favorite part of your job, and what is the most challenging part?
My favorite part of the job is that I learn something new every single day. Of course, that’s also the most challenging part; every problem is different and requires me to learn something new.
What is something most people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve played bass guitar since I was 10 years old and still play with several bands today.
How do you do your life’s best work at Texas Health?
I feel like I make a difference here, and I love how we are empowered to create “wow” experiences for consumers.
