Every time registered nurse Kelly Stettmeier checks on a patient with a severe case of COVID-19, she must complete a complex "gowning" process that involves donning a thin, blue, disposable gown over scrubs, covering exposed skin with extra gloves and placing an air-purifying respirator over her face.Â
The 10-minute procedure required before visiting patients in isolation is the stark reality that has become routine over the last year.Â
Since the first COVID-19 patient came into Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit nearly one year ago on March 19, 2020, staff have seen the worst of the virus' effects, experienced the devastation of increasingly larger surges, and relied on one another as they cope with feelings of loss and isolation.Â
"The day starts out with a lot of anxiety, when you start with a lot of critically sick people. This COVID course is long and hard and it’s exhausting, and it’s a lot of work with the gowning," Stettmeier said. "There’s not a lot of victories in the day, but you have to celebrate the little wins, like when someone drops down on medication."
On Wednesday, there were seven COVID-19 patients in the unit, including a couple breathing with the assistance of intubation. The nurses are grateful for this period of something like calm, following the nightmare three months ago.
The first surge of patients in spring of 2020 left staff scrambling to meet local demand, with little respite before another surge in the summer. However, both of those surges were only run-ups to a third surge in December — the biggest and most brutal to date.Â
From December to January, an ever-growing number of patients crowded the unit until a line of beds snaked down the hallways. More patients needed the assistance of breathing apparatuses than ever before.Â
"We had our surge in the spring, then we had a minute to breathe. But then it got so much worse [in the winter]," Stettmeier said. "At one point we had up to 40 patients in the ICU, and they were all COVID."Â
Since the early days of the pandemic, Santa Maria has been a hotbed for the virus, and as a result, hospitalizations and deaths. By the fall, the city had half of Santa Barbara County's total cases, despite comprising only a quarter of its population.
Marian Regional Medical Center has consistently held the most COVID patients out of Santa Barbara County's three hospitals, sometimes taking patients from southern San Luis Obispo County and other areas of the state in addition to local cases.
Dr. Barry Feldman, the ICU's soft-spoken medical director, struggled to find the words to describe the past year, before landing on one: endless.
"It's kind of like a big blur," he said. "The biggest thing is really … the way the staff rose up, and things we never thought could be done were done. Everybody was really terrified in the beginning, and you saw the best in people come out."
For many, the worst part has been witnessing countless patients die, without their families able to be by their side. Â
Loss
Due to the risk of contracting the virus, patients receiving ICU treatment for COVID-19, especially those in isolation, are not permitted to have visitors except under specific circumstances, hospital spokeswoman Sara San Juan said.Â
"If it's end-of-life, we'll sometimes allow it. Some of them want to have a family meeting," San Juan said.
Most of the time, nurses are charged with setting up communication between patients and families via phone, or over video via iPads donated by the Mark and Dorothy Smith Family Foundation. Even if the patient is unable to speak, families still can express love, well wishes and sometimes goodbyes.
"Experiencing that grief with their families every day on the phone, that was the hardest part. Sometimes you finish your day, get in the car and just cry," critical care nurse Allison Youngern said.Â
Even when patients do recover, the long road toward recuperation can be grueling to witness.
Tim Wendling, a physical therapist who helps patients focus on mobility, said those recovering from COVID-19 treatment in the ICU are slowed down by a significant toll on their bodies and lungs.
"The nature of this disease is it takes a long time. There’s some people who have weeks and weeks of recovery … even some that were semi-mild [cases]," Wendling said. "We had a person who was here almost a year ago and is still feeling the effects of it."
For many, initial therapy sessions focus on the simple act of sitting up in bed and breathing on their own. With little existing research about the duration and magnitude of mobility impacts from the virus, Windling said it's often a game of wait-and-see.Â
"We don’t have much research done on this and mobility yet, so we’re learning as we go," he said.Â
Healing
As Marian staff focus on healing the sickest patients that enter the facility, many also are taking time to ensure their colleagues are persevering through a national initiative called "check you, check two."Â
"It's a campaign to help increase support, to have staff check in on themselves and two other people," Director of Critical Care Service Lauren Whitmore said.Â
Several nurses wear this reminder to check in with themselves and others in the form of orange buttons pinned to their scrubs, along with visiting the hospital's in-house therapist or finding a quiet place to be alone.Â
Whitmore said she is comforted by the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, which the majority of health care workers now have received, but said she has to be prepared for further spikes.
"We've prepared for things to fluctuate. We take it in stride, and hope it continues to go down with things like vaccinations. We’re cautiously optimistic," she said.
Until the pandemic is over, critical care nurse Rose Nelson said extending comfort to one another during an unimaginable time is invaluable, especially when it can be hard to communicate the impacts of daily loss to family members who aren't experiencing it firsthand.Â
"For the first time in a while, we’ve had an opportunity to reflect back … I don’t know if any of us have gone through something like that in our lives. I personally don’t think I can go back to the person I was before. I just need to find ways to move forward," Nelson said. "I don’t think there’s any way to help someone really truly understand unless you were in those rooms."
Photos: A harrowing year of COVID in Marian Regional's ICU
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-001.jpg

Respiratory therapist Johnny Rios, left, and registered nurse Kelly Stettmeier observe the condition of an intubated patient isolated for COVID-19 in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-002.jpg

Respiratory Therapist Johnny Rios, left, and Registered Nurse Kelly Stettmeier observe the condition an intubated patient isolated for COVID-19 in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-003

Registered nurses in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit show off buttons Wednesday featuring the mantra "check you, check two," reminding them to check in with themselves and others while dealing with the daily stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-004

Marian Regional Medical Center respiratory therapist Johnny Rios sanitizes his hands prior to entering a COVID-19 isolation room in the intensive care unit on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-006.jpg

Marian Regional Medical Center registered nurse Kelly Stettmeier checks on a patient's file prior to entering the intensive care unit room where they are isolated and intubated for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-005

A housekeeper at Marian Regional Medical Center does the critical work of mopping and sanitizing the intensive care unit area, where several COVID-positive patients are being treated, on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-002

Respiratory therapist Johnny Rios, clad in protective gear, writes observations about an isolated COVID-19 patient's condition in the intensive care unit at Marian Regional Medical Center on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-008.jpg

Marian Regional Medical Center registered nurse Kelly Stettmeier applies several layers of protective gear, including an air-purifying respirator, prior to entering the room of a patient isolated and intubated for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-009

A powered air-purifying respirator, also known as a PAPR device, sits in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit before being used to enter an isolated patient's room.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-010

A storage area in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit holds supplies for medical staff on Wednesday.
031021-smt-news-marian-icu-011

Respiratory Therapist Johnny Rios checks on an intubated patient isolated for COVID-19 in Marian Regional Medical Center's intensive care unit on Wednesday.
Coronavirus: Impact, response to COVID-19 on the Central Coast
We are working hard to get answers about the impact and reaction to the coronavirus in Santa Barbara County, this is a collection of those stories.
Several COVID-19 vaccine appointments remain available over the next five days for eligible Santa Barbara County residents at Dick DeWees Comm…
Santa Barbara County residents ages 16 and older will be able to make appointments for COVID-19 vaccines as early as April 12, county public h…
Santa Barbara County residents 50 years of age and older now are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a community vaccination site in Lomp…
The spread of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County is continuing to slow, with the county's adjusted case rate dropping this week from 7.7 to 5.8 …
Coronavirus created a harrowing year in Marian Regional's ICU: 'You saw the best in people come out'
Every time registered nurse Kelly Stettmeier checks on a patient with a severe case of COVID-19, she must complete a complex "gowning" process…
The Santa Maria Bonita School District will initiate a return to in-person learning through a hybrid model in mid-April, with all grades expec…
Seniors in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District could begin learning on campus as soon as mid-April, under a reopening plan for hy…
Santa Barbara County's rates for new COVID-19 cases, active cases and hospitalizations continue to follow an encouraging downward trend after …
As COVID-19 deaths began to peak in January, Arroyo Grande resident David Cuellar's world was rocked when three of his immediate family member…
Over 400 educators and classified school staff from across Santa Barbara County arrived Thursday at the Lompoc Valley Medical Center to receiv…
When Santa Maria resident Melissa Meza was hospitalized for COVID-19 last spring, her condition deteriorated to the point where she needed lif…
Changes are coming to Santa Barbara County's COVID-19 vaccine rollout over the next week, as the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes its w…
Santa Barbara County began a new COVID-19 vaccination chapter this week as officials expanded access to agriculture, food, emergency and educa…
As the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department prepares to open COVID-19 vaccine appointments to educators, agriculture and food workers…
Santa Barbara County's elderly and Latinx residents continue to be impacted by COVID-19 at disproportionate rates compared to their population…
Community advocacy groups in Santa Barbara County are calling on Public Health officials to ensure equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine, a…
Severe weather conditions throughout the country have prolonged delays of Moderna vaccine deliveries to Santa Barbara County, causing nearly 2…
A small number of residents ages 65 to 74 in Santa Barbara County had the opportunity to register for COVID-19 vaccinations Tuesday, with limi…
While Santa Barbara County moves closer to meeting state COVID-19 requirements for reopening schools, several logistical hurdles related to wi…
Residents between the ages of 65 and 74 in San Luis Obispo County are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, with appointments expected to be …
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is prepared to support the reopening of elementary schools by urging the state to grant an e…
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced Jada Beaudet to finish her eighth grade year in distance learning, the 15-year-old and her family hoped her…
Santa Barbara County passed the 30,000-mark for COVID-19 cases on Monday, after the Public Health Department reported 380 new COVID-19 cases o…
The Santa Maria Health Care Center will offer free, walk-up COVID-19 testing for community members on Saturday, with no appointment required, …
Around half of Santa Barbara County health care workers eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine have declined receiving any doses, county public hea…
About 10% of Santa Barbara County residents have received COVID-19 vaccinations, and health officials said the reason for the relatively slow …
January was Santa Barbara County's deadliest month yet in the pandemic, with 131 individuals dying from COVID-19 in the first 31 days of the y…
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department will halt administration of initial vaccine doses for the next four weeks at distribution si…
An estimated 65% to 75% of the COVID-19 vaccine doses allotted to Santa Barbara County have been administered, while most of the statistics us…
Availability of vaccine appointments in Santa Barbara County is shrinking as public health officials await updates from the state and federal …
Santa Barbara County commercial tenants got another two months of protection from eviction for nonpayment of rent caused by COVID-19 when the …
Outdoor dining and indoor salon operations no longer will be restricted in Santa Barbara County after state officials lifted the regional stay…
Santa Barbara County public health officials are growing more concerned about the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to the county, with offici…
Santa Barbara County public health officials announced Thursday that 3,900 Moderna vaccines have been approved for use after state officials r…
A year ago, facing competition from the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchise that had just opened a store in Santa Maria, locally owned Golden Don…
Over 17,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, including both first and second doses, now have been administered in Santa Barbara …
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department will pause all usage of a recent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shipment after state health offici…
Community members ages 75 and older in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties can get their COVID-19 vaccines beginning next week, public …
Lompoc Valley Medical Center received an overwhelming surge of community members seeking vaccines last Wednesday after the hospital extended i…
As COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue in Santa Barbara County, public health officials are opening new distribution sites for those in high…
Individuals eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County’s next phase of inoculations could begin receiving injections i…
Santa Barbara County's COVID-19 increases grew more severe over the past four days, with few areas spared from spiking case rates and newly re…
FoodMaxx on South Broadway in Santa Maria closed Wednesday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 but reopened as usual Thursday after…
Santa Barbara County Public Health officials gave a grim overview of the county's COVID-19 status Tuesday, describing the debilitating effects…
Leaders in government, business, education, medical care and other fields have called policy and procedural changes made in response to the CO…
As Santa Barbara County homeless shelters like Good Samaritan in Santa Maria remain at capacity because of COVID-19 limits, staff are holding …
COVID-19 case surges and limited hospital staffing in Santa Barbara County have led to a dramatic decrease in overall ICU capacity, with adult…
Public school districts in Santa Maria and Orcutt have had no choice but to further delay plans for returning to in-person learning once again…
With Thanksgiving gatherings and travel leading to unprecedented COVID-19 case surges, Santa Barbara County health officials are looking ahead…
As the economic climate continues to deteriorate amid the ever-tighter restrictions imposed by the governor in response to surges in COVID-19 …
An infectious disease specialist received his COVID-19 vaccine at Marian Regional Medical Center on Thursday as the cheers of nurses and staff…
Santa Barbara County public health officials are blaming spikes in local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on Thanksgiving, with the county …
After submitting a request to the state this week to be excluded from the designated Southern California region — where dropping ICU capacity …
Hospital statistics on COVID-19 patients and answers to some questions about causes of death and testing numbers were delivered Dec. 8 in a re…
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors got some information about how COVID-19 has affected the local economy, including unemployment and m…
As brick-and-mortar restaurants navigate the newest round of state COVID-19 restrictions, local food trucks are struggling to find places to s…
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Dec. 8 to send a letter to the governor asking for the Tri-Counties area to be sep…
Due to plunging ICU availability rates, the state's stay-at-home order will take effect in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, along w…
Santa Barbara County is on the brink of additional closures — prohibiting outdoor dining and shutting down salons — under a new regional stay-…
Santa Barbara County health care workers and first responders could begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations as early as mid-December, but it mig…
At the 'A' Street Café in Santa Maria — a breakfast and lunch eatery that offers employment and training opportunities to individuals with dis…
Many of Santa Barbara County’s small-business owners say they are drowning in a sea of purple as the governor’s tightened COVID-19 restriction…
Rising COVID-19 case rates are keeping Santa Barbara County trapped in the state's restrictive purple tier for a second week, as state officia…
Santa Barbara County is facing funding shortfalls over the next five years, even in the best of three possible scenarios, as revenues decline …
On the morning of March 13, Phyllis Sabo visited her husband, James, at Marian Extended Care Center during one of their regularly scheduled vi…
Santa Barbara County public health officials are bracing for increased hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 over the coming weeks, …
Due to Santa Barbara County's status in the state's purple tier, all nonessential gatherings and activities will be restricted from 10 p.m. to…
With COVID-19 rates rising again in Santa Barbara County, public health officials are urging residents to continue seeking COVID-19 testing, e…
Santa Maria will receive more than $960,000 in a second round of COVID-19 federal CARES Act funding that will allow for increased rental assis…
Santa Barbara County will send a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom asking him to modify the new purple tier requirements in his Blueprint for a Safe…
Clerical and management workers make up the sector most responsible for driving Santa Barbara County’s surge in COVID-19 cases during the firs…
Students within the Santa Maria Joint-Union High School District will be required to Zoom into class more frequently this week under a new sch…
After temporarily closing due to a confirmed student COVID-19 case in early November, the number of COVID-positive students at St. Joseph High…
The rate of new COVID-19 cases being reported each day has remained relatively flat in Santa Barbara County overall, representing a much bette…
A new online dashboard giving the public more data on COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County was unveiled Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors took…
Santa Barbara County residents will not see further reopenings for at least another two weeks, after increased COVID-19 case rates further dis…
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed an additional 24 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the county's total number of …
While COVID-19 cases remain stable in Santa Barbara County, public health officials are concerned about another spike in cases due to gatherin…
A dramatic increase in the number of families in need has led the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to call for 1,000 more donated turkeys than…
Santa Barbara County’s unemployment rate has fallen to about half of its April spike brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s still runni…
Santa Maria civic leaders discussed economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted examples of the city’s resiliency and accompl…
A new initiative was launched this week by a coalition of educators and health-care providers to break the back of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sa…
An Orcutt couple has come up with an easier way to build a treat delivery system than one made internet-famous by a guy in Chicago, and they’v…
Following a severe coronavirus outbreak, skilled nursing facility Santa Maria Post Acute was declared COVID-free on Monday by the Santa Barbar…
An ordinance that would allow certain Santa Barbara County personnel to issue citations leading to fines for violating county health officer o…
Around 30 parents and children from the Orcutt Union School District rallied on Wednesday afternoon to protest the district's recent decision …
As agricultural workers continue to have the highest COVID-19 case numbers in Santa Barbara County, workers who have tested positive and need …
Santa Barbara County remains stuck in the red tier of the state's COVID-19 reopening framework, with equity metrics and positivity rates meeti…
Hancock College will continue offering the majority of classes in a distance learning format in the upcoming spring semester, college official…
For Righetti senior Kidasi Nepa, the news that the Santa Maria Joint-Union High School District would not be returning to in-person learning u…
Officials with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department confirmed on Friday that "several" residents have died in a COVID-19 outbreak…
Following seven months of closure with services mostly limited to online, community members once again will be able to browse books on the she…
Latinos, agricultural workers, 20-year-olds and the elderly have been affected by COVID-19 at levels disproportionate to their percentage of S…
A Tuesday health order from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department permits the reopening of K-12 schools in the county and continue…
In order for Santa Barbara County to move into the state's next reopening tier, COVID-19 rates will need to brought down in the 21 most dispro…
The city of Santa Maria hit a new milestone Wednesday by reaching 4,000 total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. While the city h…