Thank you for all you Do!

The HCA Team has created some videos accessible from QR codes on:

• Donning Reused Cloth Gowns
• Doffing Reused Cloth Gowns
• Donning/Doffing PPE

To access the video, scan the QR code from your camera function on your phone.  You should get a pop-up to open a browser to view the video. 

Donning and Doffing

Thank you for you DEDICATION to patient care!

What precautionary actions are being taken to safeguard our facilities?

 A: We are taking measures to have a more controlled environment in our care sites that will limit entry into hospitals and clinics. This will help ensure screening occurs prior to entry into patient care areas so that masks are provided to patients with respiratory symptoms. As we often do during heavy influenza outbreaks, visitor restrictions will be instituted in patient care areas. Colleagues will be included among those who will be screened before entering our hospitals and other care sites. In addition, universal masking and social distancing are implemented at workplace. Employees are to keep the mask on at all times during work hours and to eat lunch alone or 6 feet away from others.

Q: How can the infection of healthcare workers be prevented?

 A: Our caregivers are skilled and experienced in caring for patients with flu-like illnesses and we are re-emphasizing infection prevention protocols and the latest guidance from the CDC. The experience of treating coronavirus in the U.S. and other first world countries has shown that the use of standard respiratory precautions has prevented the infection of healthcare workers, who we count on to stay healthy to take care of all patients.

Q: What does infection prevention entail?

 A: Infection prevention includes processes for screening potential coronavirus patients, and the proper use of isolation procedures. Additionally, our facilities are reinforcing effective environmental cleaning and visitor policies that support infection control. 

Q: How is the virus impacting the distribution and conversation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?

 A: Because so much of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gowns and masks used to protect our patients, colleagues and visitors from the spread of infections, is made in China where this virus originated, this is another area of emphasis. We are promoting the conservation of these important supplies, preparing to share supplies within our markets to help ensure continued availability while also actively working to identify alternative sources of PPE.

Q: How can I personally prepare myself to avoid exposure/infection?

A: When considering personal preparedness, it is important to keep a few points in mind. First, infectious disease experts are emphasizing that coronavirus causes an illness that is similar to the flu. Everyday habits that protect us from common respiratory illness are even more important now. We all can protect our own health as well as the health of our family members and community by remembering:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often, using either soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel for at least 20 seconds
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
• Avoid areas with large crowd and practice social distancing-keep 6 feet away from others.

Q: What is the protocol if a patient presents as a potential COVID-19 case?

A: Under the new CDC guidelines, the patient will be immediately tested and isolated. Potentially exposed employees will be identified. Those who are deemed exposed per the CDC definition of “exposure” will be contacted by employee health to monitor themselves for 14 days from the date of exposure. Symptomatic employees will be removed from workplace and be tested. 

COVID 19 FAQs for Furloughed Clinicians

 I understand that I am being asked to remain home from work, why?

In exposures we follow a process called quarantine.  Your safety and the safety of our patients is our top priority, it has determined that you may have been exposed to a patient/coworker with the new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and is experiencing symptoms. Since this infection can be contagious, even with mild symptoms, it is safest for patients and other staff for you to remain outside the workplace. For additional questions regarding exposure to COVID-19 from work or community, please contact employee health for further instructions.

hat does it mean to be under quarantine?

Typically, being under quarantine means that you must limit your travel and contact with others, including potentially staying within your home.  Your hospital is working with the local department of public health, which is the entity that requires quarantine, to get further details.  The Department of Health will be in contact with you and provide specific details of its expectations.

What about other members of my household – can they be with me?

 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends no special actions for those sharing a household for someone under quarantine.

What about if I was exposed outside of work?

Please report to HWS immediately if you believe that you have been exposed outside of workplace to COVID-19 positive individuals. Please report to HWS immediately if you are experiencing any symptoms concerning COVID-19, even if your source of exposure cannot be identified at the time. Employee Health will be notified and will reach out to provide you information on next steps to safely return to work.

Will I be paid while I am being furloughed?

 Were you infected while working?

• If you test positive to COVID-19 as a result of a documented work-related exposure to any patient, visitor, contractor, vendor or fellow employee that is positive for COVID-19, you will be asked to remain at home and you will not be placed on the hospital schedule over the next 10 days counting from onset of symptoms or date of testing (please follow specific instructions from employee health regarding quarantine time frame). During this time, you will receive compensation for all scheduled hours missed during this period at the base rate.  Your employer will also file a workers comp medical claim to cover expenses after the defined quarantine period is over if necessary. However, you must be COVID-19 positive with a confirmed positive source.

Will someone be in contact with me while I am away from work?

 Our Employee Health Nurse, will call you to check in and assist with answering questions that you may have. This conversation will include checking in on how you are feeling and if you are having any symptoms that may need medical treatment – fever, shortness of breath, body aches, runny nose, etc.

 Where can I get more information about my potential exposure?

 Please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-risk-assesment-hcp.html for comprehensive guidance.

Should you have questions while you are away from the hospital, contact our Employee Health Nurse @ Lilly.Ranney@HealthTrustWS.com

• Everyone in the hospital environment will be masked
• Patients will wear level 1 masks when outside of their treatment rooms or when face to face with HCPs during care
• Visitors will wear personal masks or be provided with a level 1 if needed
• Non-clinical staff will wear level 1 masks at all times
• Clinical staff will wear the appropriate level of mask for the clinical situation
• Staff - universal eye protection for ED, ICU, and other high risk areas
• Staff - eye protection when face to face care and patient cannot mask
• Staff - fit tested N95 with full face shield for ALL AGP

Please review attached education-Mask Level Required and Huddle Highlights.

PPE Guidance

PPE Huddle Care

Thank you for your HARD WORK AND DEDICATION to PATIENT CARE!

Please use the link below as guidance from the CDC for infection prevention and control recommendations.  The guidance is based on the current available information/situation in the United States for COVID-19.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html

Thank you for your continued DEDICATION to patient care!

The world has changed, but the core of our nurses has not. Our daily lives have been upended, but our nurses stand up, show up and give patients the compassion and care they need and deserve.

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse,” and while this designation was announced prior to COVID-19, we cannot think of a better time to honor and recognize nurses for their commitment to the profession. Just like Florence Nightingale did 200 years ago, our nurses lean in and are a light in the darkness. They continue to compassionately and selflessly serve humanity and their valuable contribution will have saved the world.

In the “Year of the Nurse,” we find ourselves depending on the resilience of nurses now more than ever. With new challenges appearing daily, nurses continue to show up for society and deliver quality care with extraordinary skill. For that we are most grateful.

While this pandemic has brought a sense of uncertainty, one thing remains constant: the dedication of nurses to serving the needs of our community. We want to sincerely thank the incredible nurses at HealthTrust Workforce Solutions who are going above and beyond to live out our mission every day that “above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life.”

Nursing Now has launched the Nightingale Challenge, which asks every health employer around the world to provide leadership and development training for a group of their young nurses and midwives during 2020. In coordination with our parent company, HCA Healthcare, HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is proud to offer newly registered nurses the opportunity to join our Specialty Training Apprenticeship for Registered Nurses (StaRN) Program. The StaRN Program is offered across the country and features a comprehensive range of nursing specialties. To learn more about the program, click here. 

Thank you for all you are and what you do. This is your year. Happy Nurses Week!

New Digital HCA Healthcare Magazine with Special COVID-19 Feature: Voices from the Frontlines

The latest edition of the HCA Healthcare Magazine celebrates how colleagues create healthier tomorrows for our patients, communities and each other. In addition to the print magazine, which were mailed to colleagues’ homes this past week, you may now read expanded and interactive content via the recently launched digital HCA Healthcare Magazine. 

As one of the nation’s leading healthcare providers, HCA Healthcare is committed to helping overcome COVID-19. We are proud to leverage our scale and resources during this pandemic to help others by contributing up to 1,000 ventilators to the Dynamic Ventilator Reserve, a public-private collaboration announced at a recent White House briefing. 

HCA Healthcare’s chief executive officer, Sam Hazen, met with the president and healthcare executives at the White House on April 14.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important we pull together. In keeping with our commitment to the care and improvement of human life, HCA Healthcare is leveraging our resources, in conjunction with the federal government and other hospital systems, to help others across the nation.  HCA Healthcare will provide as many as 1,000 ventilators as part of the American Hospital Association’s collaboration with the federal government and health systems to distribute this critical piece of equipment to hospitals experiencing a surge of patients with COVID-19.

HCA Healthcare chief executive officer Sam Hazen participated in a White House briefing with President Donald J. Trump on April 14 to announce the launch of the Dynamic Ventilator Reserve. This new public-private collaboration will distribute ventilators to critical areas of need in the fight against COVID-19.

The Dynamic Ventilator Reserve will include an online inventory of ventilators and associated supplies, such as tubing and filters, to support the overall needs of combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals and health systems will input into the database available equipment that they are able to lend to others. Providers are then able to request access to this virtual inventory should their need for ventilators increase. The AHA will manage the inventory with full transparency to those participating in the effort and work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to determine when ventilators might be needed to supplement the national emergency stockpile.

“I stand here before you in front of our 285,000 colleagues who provide care to patients every day across the country,” Hazen said when addressing President Trump, officials and members of the media at an announcement of the public-private effort in the White House Rose Garden. “One of the guiding principles we had when we went into this COVID-19 battle was to find partnerships—partnerships with other components of the healthcare industry, partnerships with other health systems and partnerships with governments, both local and federal. We’re proud to be part of this public-private sector partnership, and I think it’s going to do great good for the community.”

HCA Healthcare’s supply chain leadership team, including Ed Jones, the CEO of HealthTrust Purchasing Group, a subsidiary of the company, played an instrumental role in the creation of the Dynamic Ventilator Reserve and worked with the AHA, the Federation of American Hospitals, the White House Coronavirus Task Force and other major healthcare group purchasing organizations on its development. It is a concept that can be applied to other critical areas of need that may emerge as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

HCA Healthcare is working with organizations throughout the country—including local and state governments, the federal government, healthcare companies, technology companies, and other health systems—to pool resources, expertise and capabilities and create innovative alliances that help improve the national response to COVID-19. For example, last week HCA Healthcare, Google Cloud and SADA announced the creation of an open data platform to help hospitals and communities prepare for and respond to COVID-19.

Problem: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has made social distancing and isolating in our homes the new normal. As a result, people need new ways to access health care.

Solution: Expand HCA Healthcare’s telehealth capabilities to support the rapidly evolving challenges of our clinical staff to meet the needs of our patients in response to COVID-19.

Across HCA Healthcare, our telehealth capabilities are enabling a more efficient and safer way to deliver care. Fortunately we already had a strong foundation of using telehealth in our facilities. Our experience ranges from delivering life-saving care to stroke victims by connecting neurologists to emergency department (ER) physicians, to providing emergent psychiatry consultations to deploying remote monitoring for solid organ and bone marrow transplant patients, all via secure, bidirectional audio/video telehealth capabilities.

But, COVID-19 is more complex challenge. Patients’ symptoms are wide-ranging and the virus can be transmitted by those with no outward symptoms. That’s why we have been rapidly deploying telehealth capabilities in various formats to better serve all our patients, symptomatic or asymptomatic, and reduce potential exposure to COVID-19.

There are three primary goals in using telehealth in response to COVID-19:

• Limit potential exposure of our clinical teams
• Limit potential exposure of patients
• Continue to monitor and deliver treatment to both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

In the last three weeks, we have enabled multiple telehealth video and mobile applications to be used by 6,000+ providers in our outpatient and hospital-based clinics and added more than 2,000 telehealth endpoints in our hospitals. This is enabling physicians and nurses to utilize video and mobile solutions to stay connected in multiple formats (live video, text and remote monitoring) to treat both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients.

The ways we are using telehealth include:

Outpatient Clinics – Our Physician Services Group (PSG) has enabled telehealth across all of our physician clinics. Last week alone, our physicians conducted more than 13,000 telehealth primary care and specialty clinic visits with 24,000 appointments scheduled for this week. As we continue to ramp up, we are projecting 100,000 telehealth clinic visits will be completed in April. We’re also focused on ramping up telehealth services to support chronically-ill patients who are at a greater risk for contracting COVID-19, including cancer patients who would normally be seen at a Sarah Cannon clinic.

Patient and Employee monitoring – Given the nature of COVID-19, it’s important to continue close monitoring of persons under investigation, meaning those who have been screened in an HCA Healthcare facility for potential exposure to COVID-19.  We are also using the same remote monitoring to actively support HCA Healthcare colleagues who have potentially been exposed to COVID-19. Through Vivify Health’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) mobile app, the Care Assure nurse team can stay in routine contact with the patient and intervene, when necessary, via secure text or phone call to manage care decisions through the Vivify Health mobile app (Vivify Go). This capability allows for continuity of care for our patients and employees, even if an individual doesn’t show severe symptoms.

Inpatient treatment – For patients who require hospitalization, we are increasing the use of telehealth solutions to allow for care teams to see their patients for remote consultations, daily rounding and any specialty visit that does not require a physical exam. We can quickly and easily complete specialist visits (cardiology, oncology, critical care, etc.) utilizing our telehealth endpoints without adding risk to the patient or physician. These telehealth capabilities are helping reduce exposure to our entire care team, as well as preserving critical PPE in the hospital.

Urgent Care – Virtual urgent care visit capabilities have been deployed nationwide all of our CareNow clinics. This allows patients to consult with a physician via video chat, while staying home and avoiding potential exposure. This also helps reduce risk for physicians and other patients with conditions that do require in-person treatment.

Battling the COVID-19 pandemic requires organizations like HCA Healthcare to become agile problem solvers and quickly adopt new solutions. Telehealth is just one of the enabling capabilities we are deploying to both protect our front line caregivers and provide safe, effective care to the people we serve. By equipping all of our sites of care with telehealth capabilities, it enables our teams to continue to care like family.

Our dedication to caring like family extends beyond our hospitals’ walls into the communities where we live and work. During this unprecedented time, we are honored to strengthen relationships with neighbors in our hometowns. The HCA Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of HCA Healthcare, and a tax exempt trust affiliated with HCA Healthcare will provide more than $1 million in grants to local community organizations to aid in COVID-19 relief efforts.

“Like our colleagues that are serving on the frontlines of this crisis by providing lifesaving care to patients, local organizations are also stepping up to address the needs of their communities in remarkable ways, including emergency response, addressing food shortages and providing childcare for healthcare workers and first responders,” said Sam Hazen, chief executive officer of HCA Healthcare. “HCA Healthcare is honored to support our communities during this unprecedented time of rapidly changing needs.”

The one-time grants of $10,000 to $250,000 have been distributed to community partners that are focused on the COVID-19 emergency response and food banks, including:

• The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Emergency and Disaster Response Fund (Asheville, North Carolina)
• Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund (Houston, Texas)
• Austin Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Austin’s All Together ATX Fund (Austin, Texas)
• United Way of Greater Nashville’s COVID-19 Response Fund (Nashville, Tennessee)
• United Way Galveston County Mainland (Texas City, Texas)
• United Way of the Coastal Bend COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• Communities in Schools of San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
• YMCA of Greater Kansas City (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• San Antonio Food Bank (San Antonio, Texas)
• Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley (Pharr, Texas)
• North Texas Food Bank (Plano, Texas)
• Tarrant Area Food Bank (Fort Worth, Texas)
• United Way of Broward County COVID-19 Campaign (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
• United Way of Miami-Dade’s Miami Pandemic Response Fund (Miami, Florida)
• Mile High United Way (Denver, Colorado)
• United Way of the Plains (Wichita, Kansas)
• Food Bank of the Rockies (Denver, Colorado)

“We are so honored by this gift of love,” said Natalie Jayroe, president and chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. “It is because of generous support from partners like HCA Healthcare that our staff and volunteers will be able to provide meals and emergency food in the weeks and months to come for those most impacted by this emergency.”

Additional grants will be made to HCA Healthcare community partners in Florida, Colorado and Kansas.

HealthTrust Workforce Solutions is a proud of the United Way Broward County.