TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP)
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: April 2, 2020
TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 2, 2020
ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members. This is a review of the major activities that occurred today related to the COVID-19 response.
Prioritization of in-house testing
Since we have limited supplies for rapid in-house testing, the Corporate Emergency Operations Center has prioritized the following patient scenarios for in-house testing:
- Patients admitted to the hospital with suspected COVID-19 infection
- ER patients that are being admitted to the hospital with suspected COVID-19 infection
- Healthcare worker that is being tracked by Infection Prevention with suspected COVID-19 infection
Please be conservative with your testing and follow the proper protocols If you have any questions, please contact Ballad Health Corporate EOC at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@BalladHealth.org or 423-302-6999 directly.
Team Member Nurse Connect Fast Track
If you are a team member that may have had possible exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, or if you believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, please call 423-408-7600. The Team Member Fast Track will be staffed by RNs, 24/7.
Once connected, a nurse will provide a series of screening questions to determine if you fit the criteria to be tested for COVID-19 and provide you with instructions on when you are permitted to return to work.
If a test is ordered, a test location will be provided during the call and test results will be provided as soon as possible.
Watch today’s livestreamed press conference
We continue to host Facebook LIVE videos every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 a.m. for local media and our communities. This is your chance to hear updated communication and information about COVID-19. Miss today’s video? You can watch it here.
Moments of light – thank you to our healthcare heroes
Maddox Kerley is a superhero – but with physical distancing limitations, he can’t leave his house.
Now, when the world needs heroes more than ever, Maddox is thanking doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and first responders for being brave and working so hard to save people. Click here to watch his video now.
Special thanks to Grant Kerley Photography and family for this amazing message.
Do you have a story or team member you’d like to recognize? Let us know.
Additional points to note
- Due to the recent CMS waivers, the Infection Prevention (IP) team will stop all HAI reporting to NHSN and CMS. Each day the IP will verify micros and ensure patients are in appropriate isolation. There will be no determination of whether the infection is hospital acquired or community acquired. This applies to infections as well as surgical site infections. IPs are still required to monitor and report the TDH/VDH reportable diseases.
- During this time of fear and uncertainty, our first emotions are often stress and worry – it’s a natural response. However, being mindful of your feelings and managing anxiety can help. Also, if you or someone you know is struggling with behavioral healthcare, call the Response Crisis Hotline at 800-366-1132.
- With our launch of rapid COVID-19 testing, we’re able to expand and enhance our COVID-19 screenings. While we will continue to follow CDC testing criteria, we now have the ability to process about 50 rapid tests per day, and that number will grow over the next few weeks.
- Please be mindful if you order non-PPE supplies – including medical and office supplies – during this time, as we’re experiencing lower patient volumes and therefore a decreased need for many items.
- Domestic travel questions are now live in Epic and Soarian clinical electronic health records. Additionally, Epic Surgical Services has implemented changes to improve tracking and rescheduling of cancelled/removed non-emergent cases. For more information about these updates, please see the April 1 Daily Briefing.
- Think before you click – we’ve seen an increase in phishing emails. If you think you’ve received a message that might be phishing or a virus, report it by using the “Phish Alert” button in Outlook.
- All COVID-19 updates and information will continue to be shared to balladhealth.org/COVID19.
Total positive COVID-19 case count:
- Tennessee – 2,845 total; 68 in Appalachian Highlands (per health department data)
- Carter – 1
- Cocke – 1
- Greene – 16
- Hamblen – 3
- Hawkins – 7
- Johnson – 2
- Sullivan – 17
- Unicoi – 1
- Washington – 20
- Virginia – 1,706; 11 in Appalachian Highlands (per health department data)
- City of Bristol – 1
- Lee County – 2
- Smyth County – 2
- Tazewell County – 2
- Washington County – 2
- Wythe County – 2
In case you missed it, follow the links below to learn more…
- Ballad Health to deploy rapid testing for COVID-19.
- If you have content you would like to contribute to Ballad Health’s social media pages, please email socialmedia@balladhealth.org. Please do not submit photos of team members donning PPE as a photo prop.
