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Update: March 25, 2020

Updated 11:46 a.m., 3/25/20

  • As a reminder, today is WEDNESDAY (there seems to be some confusion as the days are running together!)
  • LDH is updating stats at noon daily. Yesterday there were 1,388 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Louisiana across 43 parishes, with 46 dead. Tangipahoa has 4 positive cases.
  • Supplies: Mask supplies are dwindling. We are meeting today to develop a strategy for allocating masks. Stay tuned.
  • We have received some additional testing kits and have reactivated the drive through screening site.
  • Infection Prevention is rounding units on use of PPE. “Just in time” training is available for anyone with questions.
  • Charles Abrams will be providing vent education on Friday.
  • We are working with Parish and Region 9 on a surge plan in the event additional capacity is required.
  • Michele reviewed an Employee Emergency Relief Package for employees. Leadership will be sent details today to share with staff.
  • We’ve received great feedback on the moment of reflection this morning. Thank you for that suggestion!
  • Patient Access: If anyone has special needs with access, please call the command center, at which time the request will be evaluated. The Command Center can be reached at x. 7018 or x. 7022.
  • We received very few calls to the Command Center yesterday and closed it at 5 p.m. rather than 7 p.m. as planned. We are evaluating call volume today and may suspend if we don’t need it right now.
  • The Anniversary Picnic is being postponed to a later date.
  • Mac and his team are working on a plan for Sports Physical Day.
  • Visitor control is going well. We are communicating with vendors that in order to enter building, they must have temperature checked. Employee temperature checks are going well.
  • The new COVID-19 triage process in the ED working well. They saw 38 patients yesterday.
  • A plan will be implemented today to use APPs and CRNAs on units with patients in isolation to provide additional support to nursing staff. Thanks to Jessica Bennett and Janet Morse for their work on this plan.
  • A “return to work” clinic has been formed and will be staffed by Dr. Martinez. Drs. Batiste and Siddiqui will assist if volume requires additional staffing.
  • CDC return to work guidance for health care providers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – we will now adhere to CDC’s non-test-based strategy. Health care providers will be excluded from work until:
  • o At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
    • At least 7 days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
    • If health care providers were never tested for COVID-19 but have an alternative diagnosis (e.g. flu), criteria for return to work will be based on that diagnosis.
    • Refer questions to Employee Wellness at x. 5706
  • We are tracking 400 employees who were potentially exposed in the community or in the hospital. 22 are self-isolating.
  • Population Health reports that televisits and phone calls were down yesterday.
    • Great news: The EPIC team is going to be rolling out televisit capability through myChart to all employed physicians over the next several weeks.
  • Visitation Policy – no change from yesterday, but posting for reference.
    • NICU patients may have one parent for one visit per day.
    • Peds patients must have one parent in the room, no swapping.
    • Laboring patients may have one person, no swapping.
    • Patients at end-of-life who are not is isolation may have 4 immediate family members.
    • Patients at end-of-life who are in isolation may have one family member.
    • Emergency Room patients who need assistance getting to triage may have one person. However, once the patient is roomed, the person will have to remain in their care if the patient is able to participate in his/her own care. Otherwise, the Emergency Department may allow one person in the room.
    • Any patient who is admitted from the Emergency Department may not have their person transfer with him/her.
    • PEC patients may have one person at the discretion of the Emergency Department Staff.
  • A huge thank you to EVERYONE. The North Oaks team continues to rise to the challenge!