Healthcare Heroes - Paula Lear
Paula Lear first joined the UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital staff in January 1994 as a 19-year-old surgical assistant.
Over 30 years later, she’s still there — helping to coordinate surgeries as the clinical surgery scheduling manager.
“Obviously, I love it here, or I wouldn't have stayed for 32 years,” Paula says. “It is very much like a family. The people who work here are amazing.
“I definitely would never hesitate to refer any of my friends, family, or anyone here. I think that there is no better care out there than what's offered here. The staff is amazing.”
For her 32 years of dedication to UPMC Magee, Paula is this month’s UPMC Pittsburgh Penguins Healthcare Hero.
Paula began her current role about two and a half years ago. Previously, she scrubbed in to surgery full-time as a surgical assistant.
Her current role involves coordinating surgeries at UPMC Magee. Beyond scheduling the procedures, Paula ensures that each surgery has enough staff, equipment, supplies, and more.
With 15 operating rooms and 65 to 80 procedures performed each day, it requires a lot of organization.
“I think that I do a really good job of getting patients onto our OR schedule, especially emergent patients (and) complicated cases,” Paula says.
She adds that her previous experience as a surgical assistant helps her now.
“Because I know how all of the surgeries work, how to do them, what they need, I use that to figure out how long to schedule every case for and make sure we have everything,” she says. “It all sort of plays back on each other.”
Paula still scrubs in to surgery, too — though not as often as she once did.
A lot has changed in surgery at UPMC Magee-Womens since Paula first started. The hospital has added specialties like bariatric surgery. Technical advances like robotic-assisted surgery have helped to improve care.
“It's really interesting to see all of the technology that has come in and all the advancements we've made in medicine,” Paula says. “I've done a lot of the firsts on certain cases here. We do so many more minimally invasive (procedures) now instead of just opening someone up all the way. We do these laparoscopic robotic procedures where, before, they would be in the hospital for a week, and now they're going home the same day.
“It's quite a difference, that's for sure.”
One thing that remains the same is UPMC Magee’s commitment to patients. The hospital is nationally recognized for providing expert care to women. That commitment is a major reason why Paula continues to come to work each day.
“I really do feel like we help so many women, so many people every day just in getting them access and getting them the care that they need,” Paula says. “Whether it's someone having a miscarriage, someone having cancer, or someone having a life-changing operation like bariatric surgery. We make a difference in people's lives every day.”
