TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP)
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: April 20, 2020
TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 20, 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.
Infection prevention removes quarantine requirement for exposed healthcare workers
Due to ongoing community spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Ballad Health’s infection prevention department will be implementing the CDC’s new infection control guidelines, updated April 13.
Since all hospitals and outpatient centers have implemented source control (masking of all healthcare workers), as well as temperature and symptom monitoring, Ballad Health will no longer require quarantine of exposed healthcare workers unless a high-risk exposure is identified (situations without a mask or a similar exposure). This allows infection prevention to focus more time and resources on rounding and education to team members.
Effective today, any healthcare worker on quarantine will need to finish their quarantine period.
Guidance from the CDC states:
As community transmission intensifies within a region, healthcare facilities could consider foregoing contact tracing for exposures in a healthcare setting in favor of universal source control for HCP and screening for fever and symptoms before every shift.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee sets expiration date for stay-at-home order
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has announced the state’s safer-at-home order will expire on Thursday, April 30.
The governor said the vast majority of businesses will be able to reopen after that point. His administration will work with several counties – including Sullivan County – to ensure they open as soon as safely possible.
In Virginia, stay-at-home orders remain in place, with an anticipated expiration of June 10, and non-essential businesses in the Commonwealth must remain closed until May 8.
Please stay tuned as we continue to share information about how these orders will affect Ballad Health.
Mission Moment: A volunteer 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.
One of Bristol Regional’s hospice volunteers is a retired hairdresser of 43 years. A few weeks ago, one of the department’s nurses was speaking about how her hair was driving her crazy, but because of stay-at-home and physical distancing orders, she couldn’t get it cut.
The volunteer offered to cut it for her on her break, maintaining physical distancing recommendations by doing it in the outdoors garden behind the hospice house. No longer licensed, the volunteer did it at no charge – he just wanted to help out.
During the pandemic, the volunteer has provided much-needed haircuts and trims for several team members at the hospice house. Of course, he asked for no pay or recognition; he simply loves our team and wanted to help in any way possible.
We want to thank this volunteer for making life easier and brighter for so many people!
Do you have a story or team member you’d like to recognize? Let us know by sending an email to BalladHealthCorporateEOC@balladhealth.org.
Additional points to note
- Ballad Health team members working in non-clinical/non-patient care environments where social/physical distancing is not present should wear a cloth face covering, provided by themselves, during work hours. We still welcome handmade mask donations for patients and visitors – click here to view sewing and drop-off instructions.
- The next livestream media update will be tomorrow, April 21, at 11:30 a.m. You can watch online at Ballad Health’s Facebook page – a link will also be available tomorrow evening.
- If a team member is experiencing any symptoms not attributed to diagnosed seasonal allergies – fever, cough, sore throat – do not come in to work. Contact your direct supervisor, and then Team Member Health at 423-408-7600.
- 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.
Total positive COVID-19 case count by county:
Tennessee – 7,238 total; 180 in Appalachian Highlands
| County | Total | Recovered |
| Carter | 5 | 3 |
| Cocke | 11 | 5 |
| Greene | 35 | 23 |
| Hamblen | 8 | 5 |
| Hawkins | 27 | 23 |
| Johnson | 2 | 2 |
| Sullivan | 45 | 35 |
| Unicoi | 1 | 1 |
| Washington | 46 | 37 |
Virginia – 8,990 total; 102 in Appalachian Highlands
| County | Total |
| Buchanan | 12 |
| City of Bristol | 1 |
| Lee | 7 |
| City of Norton | 2 |
| Russell | 2 |
| Scott | 4 |
| Smyth | 13 |
| Tazewell | 4 |
| Washington | 29 |
| Wise | 18 |
| Wythe | 10 |
COVID-19 case counts are provided by the states’ health departments. Data on recovered COVID-19 patients is not available for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
