When Humber River Hospital in Toronto asked for volunteers to treat COVID-19 patients in its intensive care unit (ICU), Dr. Marco Caminiti of the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry stepped up.
“When the call came out, it got my attention right away,” said Caminiti, an assistant professor, teaching stream, and graduate program director of oral and maxillofacial surgery. “I was drawn to it as something I can do rather than sitting passively.”
Many badly needed beds were sitting empty in Humber’s ICU because of a lack of nurses to care for potential patients. But volunteers such as Caminiti enabled many patients who otherwise would have been relocated to Ottawa and Kingston to stay in Toronto.
“Humber River Hospital has the largest number of ICU beds, and, with our help, we are able to make sure as many of those beds as possible are filled with patients who require care,” Caminiti said.
Caminiti had three days of intensive training before assisting in the ICU. His days at the hospital are long, beginning with an hour of preparation, followed by a 12-hour shift and another hour of paperwork. He provides one-on-one care to patients and feedback to doctors on staff.
“Working in the ICU is a unique opportunity for all of us volunteering,” said Caminiti. “While we aren’t ICU doctors or nurses, we each bring in a special skill set that can help look at situations with a different lens.”
For example, many patients are intubated and need to be rotated, which can place their heads in awkward positions. Caminiti, like other oral and maxillofacial surgeons experienced in upper airway management, helped the unit use a novel halo device to help safely cradle patients’ heads.
Being in the ICU has been an eye-opening experience for Caminiti. His floor has 30 patients on ventilators due to COVID-19, and he has witnessed firsthand the burnout experienced by nurses.
“I’ve gained such an appreciation of the work the ICU staff do,” said Caminiti. “It really highlights my frustration of some public perception of the disease. I would invite any skeptic to walk through the ICU. When you see the number of sick people, it’s undeniable how serious this is.”
Caminiti said he will continue to volunteer his time until operating rooms open back up, likely within a few weeks. He credits his colleagues at the faculty for enabling his work at the hospital.
“Trying to balance my time in the ICU on top of everything else has been overwhelming at times,” he said. “My colleagues that can’t volunteer are busy keeping the programs running at the faculty. I couldn’t do it without their support.”
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