We are beginning to see the natural progression with a higher number of COVID-19 admissions. To date, we are at our highest volume with 5 positive inpatients in the COVID unit and 2 Persons Under Investigation. It is expected this increase will continue through until the week of May 11. We are hopeful that COVID volumes will decrease to a level of normalcy by mid-May.
Surge capacity
• COVID unit can house 8 inpatients. The entire unit is a negative pressure space.
• Within the facility, we have 5 isolation rooms.
• We have the ability to add 4 additional rooms for COVID inpatients on 3rd floor.
• Capacity for 13 ventilators – 6 med/surg rooms on the ICU unit each have the capability to house a ventilator patient. Anesthesia machines can act as the additional ventilators.
It’s likely that today, we have more positive COVID inpatients compared to Stormont Vail. Patients that do need ventilated medical treatment would be transferred to Stormont for care as they have a pulmonologist on staff within their medical care team. This, of course, is dependent on the capacity and bed volumes they are experiencing at Stormont Vail.
NRH does have telemedicine capabilities to coordinate with a pulmonologist for patients in Emporia that need the ventilator for medical care.
County EOC update
• Beginning work on the Lyon County orders – county can have more restrictive orders than the State and as a result, Lyon County will not be removing the stay at home order consistent to the May 4th date released by the Governor in her announcement on April 30
COVID Volumes
• # of inpatients currently in COVID unit – 5 w/ 2 PUIs
• Cumulative # of COVID admissions – 19
• Respiratory Clinic # – 6 or 7 patients on average per day
• Drive Thru # – average of 25 tests per day with 85% being administered in the drive through specimen collection
Testing
• Criteria for drive through specimen collection has broadened over time
• Symptoms include 9-10 different conditions and patient must meet any two of them
• Criteria has been expanded due to an increase in testing supplies
• Patients experiencing symptoms, please call your primary care provider or Flint Hills Community Health Center – with a verbal phone screening, an order will be placed for testing and patient will be instructed on next steps
PPE update
• 2,000 procedure masks were delivered and the County provided an additional 2,000
• Currently have more than 14 days on hand of procedure masks – utilizing approx. 200 per day among staff
All staff mask protocol – effective Friday, May 1, and will phase in over the next few days among employees with rotational and unconventional staffing schedules
Entrance B (Medical Office Building) elevator – limit to 4 persons at one time
Re-establishment of services
• The #1 challenge with this is the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) we have available
• As procedures increase, the use of PPE increases making it more difficult to have that par level of supplies on hand
• Some elective procedures may slowly begin to be initiated, but it will be a very gradual process until PPE becomes more readily available
Governor’s announcements
• Begin ramping up medical care for patients
• Have increased the number of well visits within the clinic setting this past week
Hospital volumes
• Inpatient volumes have remained consistent
• Outpatient visits (diagnostic) and elective procedures are down 30% with the exception of laboratory
Revenues / Funding
• Thank you Congressman Marshall and Senators Moran and Roberts who really went to bat for us in the healthcare industry, especially governmental industries
• April 30, we obtained a grant of $6M through the Small Business Administration with application by meeting the following criteria:
➢ Definition of a small business (under 500 employees) through an exception as it relates to the way our staffing is structured
➢ Net worth of less than $15M
➢ Net income of less than $5M per year over the last 2 years
• Thank you Andy Ramirez with Spencer Fane for your efforts in helping us obtain this
• SBA grant will not have to be repaid if it’s used for payroll and COVID related expenses
Reminder that community briefings will now be once a week – Friday at 10:05am
Thank you, community, for all of your support and assistance in this time. We are appreciative of all the local community partners for thinking of us with gifts of gratitude.