Open Accessibility Menu
Hide

Update: May 12, 2020

  • Today is Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
  • State Stats: Louisiana has 31,815 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 2,242 deaths. There are 1,310 people in the hospital, with 157 on vents. Both hospitalizations and vent usage continues to trend downward. There are 22,608 patients in Louisiana who are presumed recovered.
  • North Oaks Stats: We have 21 COVID-19 positive patients in-house and 0 PUIs. We successfully discharged another two patients yesterday, bringing our total to 145. Unfortunately, we had one death of a COVID-19 patient who was on comfort care measures only.
  • We have done 2,295 COVID tests at North Oaks; 471 have been positive and we have 118 test pending.
  • Employee Wellness reports 11 employees home monitoring; 1 employee was cleared to return to work yesterday and another is scheduled to be cleared to return today. Please remember that you must be cleared by Employee Wellness before you return to work. As we return people to work, those with concerns due to underlying conditions can choose to be evaluated by a physician in the Return to Work clinic for recommendations.
  • Population health reports 50 calls yesterday, with 12 video visits. We did 40 tests in the drive-through testing station yesterday, and testing is closed today.
  • Walk-in clinic volume increased Monday to 53 patients, and physician clinic visits continue to increase.
  • The big news from yesterday was the Governor’s press conference, during which he announced Louisiana would be moving into Phase I reopening starting Saturday, May 16th through June 5th. We will be in Phase I through June 5th. The Governor’s next scheduled announcement is June 1st. There was no announcement about any change to the order regarding the types of health care procedures that can be conducted. We are still operating under the “time sensitive” mandate until further notice.
  • While we are in Phase I and II, we will not be allowing visitors with the exception of non-COVID-19 patients at end of life. We will allow one immediately family member at a time to be with the patient; immediately family members may swap out. They must mask and stay in the patient’s room. Nurses should call down to the signature building entrance to give authorization for family members to visit these patients.
  • Leaders are working with their officers on plans to ramp up. Plans are due Thursday. We will take a phased approach that allows patient care areas to flex staffing to volume. Non patient care areas should flex as needed, but ensure maintenance of social distancing requirements. Priority will be placed on operation that increase overall volume, patient access, reputation and commercial volume.
  • Employee classes will resume June 1 with social distancing. Community Education classes will be deferred until Phase II.
  • Volunteers will not return to North Oaks until we reach Phase III.
  • The cafeteria dining room will reopen at 25% of capacity on Monday, with 10 feet between tables and limited people at one table. Remember that masking IS REQUIRED in the building.
  • The Employee Engagement Survey that was planned for September will be a Pulse Survey, with the comprehensive survey rescheduled for spring 2021.
  • Travel for educational purposes will remain suspended through December 31st. If you feel an exception should be made, please talk with your supervisor/leader.
  • Vacancies that were pulled down due to the crisis will be reposted and recruitment to fill these positions will begin Monday, May 18th.
  • Michele is forming a committee to plan a September celebration for all the parties we missed this spring: Volunteer Week, Hospital Week, Nurses Week, Anniversary Picnic, Blue Ribbon Reception.
  • The finance team is working on finalizing the FY2020-2021 budget. The Board will review the proposed budget on June 17th, and vote on approval June 24th.
  • Today is the last day of the Raising Cane’s Neck Gaiter fundraiser.
  • FINALLY: THE BLOOD SUPPLY IS AT CRITICAL LOWS. Please donate if you can, and encourage friends and family members to donate as well.
  • ADDITIONALLY, PLASMA FROM RECOVERED COVID-19 PATIENTS IS NEEDED. If you’re a confirmed COVID-19 survivor, please consider donating. You no longer need to travel to New Orleans – The Blood Center in Hammond is able to take donations.
    • There are two options to find out if you qualify as a plasma donor: You can enroll online with the American Red Cross via a national portal at www.uscovidplasma.org/donate. Once the Red Cross determines that you are eligible to donate, they will send your contact information to the collection site nearest you to schedule your donation. (The collection site may be a non-Red Cross site, such as The Blood Center.)
    • The Blood Center has also partnered with Oklahoma Blood Institute and Bio-Linked to help identify potential donors. Potential donors can answer a few questions and register online with The Blood Center at www.thebloodcenter.org. The Blood Center will contact all those who register to determine eligibility. The Blood Center indicates that donors may be able to be drawn at the nearby Hammond Blood Center as opposed to the downtown New Orleans location.
    • Units of convalescent plasma will be sent to participating hospitals, like North Oaks Medical Center, to administer to seriously ill COVID-19 patients with their consent as North Oaks Infectious Disease Physician Stacy Newman, MD, and her colleagues determine appropriate.