TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP)
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: April 3, 2020
TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 3, 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.
Stay-at-home orders go into effect in Tennessee and Virginia
On Thursday, April 2, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed Executive Order 23, requiring Tennesseans stay home unless they are carrying out essential activities. The order went into effect immediately and will remain so until Tuesday, April 14, at 11:59 p.m.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a similar order on March 30, remaining in effect until June 10.
These orders were made in response to continued spreads of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Why is this necessary? Previously, Gov. Lee had strongly encouraged residents to stay home and adhere to physical distancing guidelines, but he stopped short of an executive order. However, as of today, Tennessee has 3,067 COVID-19 cases – and 37 fatalities.
Physical distancing remains the best and most effective method to flatten the curve of COVID-19, and these executive orders are firm mandates to ensure compliance.
Where can I go? Most Ballad Health team members are still reporting for work – after all, caring for patients and our communities is more important now than ever. The “Work-Related Travel by Ballad Health Team Member” release is available for electronic download.
However, outside of work hours, team members and physicians should stay mindful and attentive to these policies and remain home, unless it’s for essential travel.
Essential activities include:
- Obtaining food, drinks or essential goods and services
- Seeking medical attention, essential social services, governmental services, assistance from law enforcement or emergency services
- Taking care of other people, animals or visiting the home of a family member
- Traveling required by court order or for child custody, visitation or child care
- Engaging in outdoor activities, including exercise, provided you comply with social distancing requirements
- Traveling to and from home, places of worship or work
- Traveling to and from an educational institution
- Volunteering with organizations that provide charitable or social services
- Leaving home due to a reasonable fear for health or safety, at the direction of law enforcement or at the direction of another government agency
What happens if someone violates these orders?
Gov. Lee has given local law enforcement agencies the authority to enforce the mandate as they see fit – including citations. In Virginia, violation of Gov. Northam’s is a Class 1 misdemeanor. State and local police will assess violations on a case-by-case basis.
Clinical and non-clinical student experiences suspended
Effective Wednesday, April 8, Ballad Health is suspending all clinical and non-clinical student experiences at its facilities.
The Ballad Health restriction at long-term care facilities of suspension of clinical students/observation is unchanged from initial announcement on March 12. As per the communication on March 16, continuation of no observation student rotations permitted in Ballad Health facilities, and no audition rotations for prospective students within Ballad Health care environment are permitted in the immediate future.
Updated appearance guidelines for PPE
As we work to conserve and properly use personal protective equipment (PPE) in this pandemic, we’ve recently utilized new technology that enables us to sterilize N95 masks twice. However, the efficacy of this method requires N95s to not be damaged, hard to breathe through or soiled in any way – including by makeup.
Because we must be good stewards of our N95s, especially now, Ballad Health is requiring all team members with direct patient contact no longer wear makeup. This applies to all foundations, powders and tinted moisturizers. Additionally, long hair should be pulled back and restrained for all patient care positions. Keeping hair up is an evidence-based practice that contributes to infection prevention and optimal patient outcomes.
Moments of light – Tim Fisher goes above and beyond
Even as we focus much of our energy on containing and slowing the spread of COVID-19, we still want to recognize and celebrate the many moments, actions and people that make Ballad Health so special.
While many Ballad Health team members are still reporting for work in our hospitals, offices and other facilities every day, many of us now work from home. It can be challenging, and the last thing anyone wants is computer issues.
Recently, a team member was working from home and attempting to manage work from both legacy computer systems. He was unable to copy and paste information from one system to the other, and he could not utilize dual monitors. However, Tim Fisher with information technology came to the rescue. Tim walked his fellow team member through every necessary step, even remoting in so he could look at the settings and fix the system.
Everyone in our health system is extremely busy, but it meant the world to this team member for Tim to take time, help and make the day better.
Do you have a story or team member you’d like to recognize? Let us know.
Additional points to note
- When caring for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients, please attempt to “bundle” care to minimize the number of times team members enter/exit the patient room. This helps prevent further spread of infection.
- If you are a team member who might have had exposure to a positive COVID-19 case, or if you believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, please call 423-408-7600. This Team Member Fast Track line is staffed by registered nurses 24/7.
- Since we have limited supplies of rapid COVID-19 testing, the Corporate Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) has prioritized patient testing for patients admitted to the hospital with suspected COVID-19 infections; emergency department patients who are admitted as inpatients with suspected COVID-19 infections; and healthcare workers who are being tracked by infection prevention with suspected COVID-19 infections. If you have questions, please email BalladHealthCorporateEOC@BalladHealth.org or call 423-302-6999.
- The use of social media can be a valuable tool in these times of crisis for patients, caregivers, first responders, communities and beyond. However, misinformation or posts taken out of context can spread quickly and widely, so it is important to be mindful of where you obtain your information online and what messages you are sharing. Another challenge of social media is individual opinion can be interpreted, reported or shared as fact. As a Ballad Health team member, you serve as a representative of the organization, and what you post can easily be associated as an opinion of our health system. With that in mind, please be sure you are being mindful of our social media policies and procedures.
- All COVID-19 updates and information will continue to be shared to balladhealth.org/COVID19.
- With the expansion of the COVID-19 positive cases to the majority of counties in the regional service area of Ballad Health, in addition to our clinic practices and acute care facilities, and coinciding with the elimination of visitation in facilities, effective Wednesday April 8th, 2020, Ballad Health is suspending all clinical and non-clinical student experiences.
Total positive COVID-19 case count:
- Tennessee – 2,845 total; 72 in Appalachian Highlands (per health department data)
- Carter – 3
- Cocke – 1
- Greene – 16
- Hamblen – 3
- Hawkins 8
- Johnson – 2
- Sullivan – 18
- Unicoi – 1
- Washington – 20
- Virginia – 2,012; 12 in Appalachian Highlands (per health department data)
- City of Bristol – 1
- Lee County – 2
- Smyth County – 2
- Tazewell County – 2
- Washington County – 3
- Wythe County – 2
In case you missed it, follow the links below to learn more…
