Exceptional care at a critical moment

Steven Barron had been enjoying life as a devoted husband, father and grandfather when he began having trouble breathing. It was 2021, and the news was filled with stories about patients nationwide severely sick with COVID-19, but it hadn’t occurred to Steven that he might be one.

“I thought I had pneumonia and finally said, ‘Enough is enough,’” Steven says. “So, I brought myself to the Emergency Department at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. It wasn’t much longer after that a doctor told me they were going to intubate me. That’s when I realized things were serious.”

Steven was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sharp Chula Vista, where doctors decided to place him in a medically-induced coma to give his body the best chance at fighting the severe infection. Steven remembers the kindness, compassion and skill of his doctors and nurses dressed in protective suits before he became unconscious for two weeks.

“Caring for patients with COVID-19 is different from the other types of care we provide in an ICU setting, but stress and worry are constants as we care deeply for each of our patients,” says Geline Buenconsejo, PhD, APRN-CNS, manager of critical care at Sharp Chula Vista. “In the early days of the pandemic, we were afraid because so much was unknown, but we remained strong for our patients.”

While Steven was treated for COVID-19, his wife, Denise, kept their family afloat.

“My wife and family — they were scared, but they were strong,” Steven says. “I remember a doctor told us that I was going to be OK, and that gave us hope. Leaving the hospital was a happy day for all of us.”

A commitment to exceptional care

Sharp Chula Vista received the Beacon Award in 2025, a symbol of the hospital’s commitment to exceptional critical care like Steven received. Given by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the criteria for the Beacon Award are rigorous and require an intensive care unit to demonstrate excellence in patient outcomes, work environment and nursing workforce. Steven and his family experienced that first-hand.

“I don’t remember a lot of it, but I know I received great care in the ICU at Sharp Chula Vista,” Steven says. “The care I received is why I was able to return home.”

“Perhaps the most important takeaway from the pandemic is that, even in the toughest times, we have the power to redefine what’s possible and rise to meet any challenge if it’s in the best interest of our patients,” Buenconsejo says.

Coming back to give back

When Steven was ready to return to work after his recovery from COVID-19, he had a unique opportunity to work alongside the people who saved his life. Steven is now a proud member of the Sharp Chula Vista Engineering Department team.

“I take pride in my work to help maintain the hospital and keep it safe, knowing that it exists to take care of people like me and my family,” Steven says. “I know what they’re going through because I’ve been there.”

Buenconsejo shares that she’s incredibly proud of Sharp Chula Vista’s ICU team for providing exceptional care to Steven — and to all of their patients. “The Beacon Award is a tangible demonstration of our collective strength and commitment to every patient and their loved ones,” she says.

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