TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP)
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: July 22, 2020
TITLE: Weekly COVID-19 briefing – July 22, 2020
ACTION: Please cascade to all team members. This is a review of the major activities that occurred this week related to the COVID-19 response. We have added bullet points with key takeaways at the top of each section to help summarize the content.
COVID-19 inpatient cases: 70
COVID-19 patients in ICU: 18
COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 13
Ballad Health implements COVID-19 surge plan
- To prepare for a huge influx of COVID-19 patients, Ballad Health has created a surge plan that temporarily relocates team members to support overall staffing.
- These moves will maximize our tertiary capabilities, adding 50 additional beds and increasing our dedicated COVID-19 capacity to approximately 150 beds.
- Affected facilities include:
- Hancock County Hospital and Hawkins County Memorial Hospital, pausing all medical admissions and surgical procedures
- Unicoi County Hospital, prepared to trigger a temporary relocation of inpatient care providers to Johnson City Medical Center and Sycamore Shoals Hospital
- Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Greeneville Community Hospital East, temporarily reducing capacity in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
- Russell County Hospital and Smyth County Community Hospital, temporarily discontinuing admissions in the ICU and capping inpatient censuses
- All of our community hospitals remain open and will continue to offer 24/7 emergency services.
Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Appalachian Highlands continue to climb at a rapid rate, and Ballad Health needs to be prepared to care for the huge influx of patients we’re expecting.
We are at war with this disease, and we need to do everything we can to fight COVID-19 and win.
Out of our current 100 dedicated COVID-19 beds, 70 are in use. And given the trends in our region, we need more.
We have created a surge plan to create as much COVID-19 capacity as possible in our facilities. We are making changes at several of our hospitals by temporarily relocating staff at these facilities to nearby hospitals to support overall staffing as we create more COVID-19 dedicated beds and maximize our tertiary capabilities.
At Hancock County Hospital and Hawkins County Memorial Hospital, we have placed a temporary pause on all medical admissions and surgical procedures and moved team members to Kingsport to prepare for COVID-19 surge capacity at Holston Valley Medical Center.
Unicoi County Hospital is prepared to trigger a temporary relocation of inpatient care providers to Johnson City Medical Center and Sycamore Shoals Hospital.
At Franklin Woods Community Hospital and Greeneville Community Hospital East, we are temporarily reducing capacity in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Progressive Care Unit (PCU) and moving the staff to Johnson City Medical Center.
At Russell County Hospital and Smyth County Community Hospital, we are temporarily discontinuing admissions in the ICU and capping inpatient censuses at these facilities to free up human resources for deployment in support of growing capacity requirements at Johnston Memorial Hospital and Bristol Regional Medical Center.
By making these changes, we are adding 50 additional beds, increasing our dedicated COVID-19 capacity to approximately 150 beds by the end of this week.
Shifting these team members to our tertiary hospitals is the best option we have right now to meet our anticipated need. These temporary moves will maximize our resources at these facilities to enable us the ability to care for more COVID-19 patients within our region.
Additionally, all of our community hospitals will continue to offer 24/7 emergency services. If anyone is in need of emergency care, please do not hesitate to call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.
Marsh Regional Blood Center offers free COVID-19 antibody testing to blood donors; furthers pandemic research
- Antibody testing is only available after donors successfully complete a pre-screening and are confirmed as eligible to give.
- The tests will help us further understand the spread of COVID-19, as well as foster much-needed blood donations.
- When registering, potential donors will be asked, in the event they test positive for COVID-19, if they would be willing to donate convalescent plasma to help treat patients who are critically ill with the virus – these donations are particularly important, as the need for convalescent plasms has grown exponentially with the rise of local COVID-19 cases.
To further understand the spread of COVID-19, as well as foster much-needed blood donations, Marsh Regional Blood Center will conduct free COVID-19 antibody testing for its blood donors.
This test – which is only available after donors successfully complete a pre-screening and are confirmed as eligible to give – does not indicate if someone currently has COVID-19, but it can show a previous COVID-19 infection. Gathering this information is crucial to understanding COVID-19, especially since current estimates suggest 25-45% of cases have mild or no symptoms.
When registering, potential donors will be asked, in the event they test positive for COVID-19, if they would be willing to donate convalescent plasma to help treat patients who are critically ill with the virus. Convalescent plasma is a component of blood that is being investigated as a potential treatment option for current COVID-19 patients. Currently, Ballad Health is partnering with Mayo Clinic to conduct a national study on this, and local convalescent plasma donors are crucial to its success.
Additionally, with the rapid increase of COVID-19 infections in the Appalachian Highlands, the need for convalescent plasma has grown exponentially.
Donors will be notified of their test results by mail within two weeks, and Marsh Regional will reach out to any donors with positive antibodies. Donors who undergo COVID-19 antibody testing should call contact Marsh Regional at 423-230-5640 if they do not receive test results within two weeks.
Marsh Regional continues to take appropriate measures to reduce donors’ potential exposure to COVID-19, as well as extra disinfection and sanitization efforts and additional physical distancing precautions wherever possible.
Additionally, donors are required to wear a cloth face covering, such as homemade mask, bandana or buff, at all times on in collection centers or mobile units. If donors do not bring their own face covering, Marsh Regional will provide one.
All blood, platelet and convalescent plasma donations received until Friday, Aug. 14, will be entered to win a Yeti hard cooler prize pack.
Update on COVID-19 testing
- Due to COVID-19 surges, many turnaround times for diagnostic testing have slowed, taking up to a week or 10 days.
- Ballad Health will notify patients as soon as their results are available.
- Please be patient, and do not call the emergency department to inquire about your results.
- If you think you have COVID-19, do not wait for your test results to begin self-isolation.
As COVID-19 continues to surge in the United States, some states, labs and public health departments are warning turnaround times for diagnostic testing have slowed. Unfortunately, our region is not immune to this national trend, and some results can take up to a week or 10 days.
Ballad Health will notify patients as soon as we get the results for tests administrated at a Ballad Health facility or drive-thru location.
Please do not call hospital emergency rooms for your results. They do not have them, and this can congest the phone lines in the emergency room.
It is important to note that if you think you show symptoms of COVID-19 or think you have the virus, don’t wait for your test results to self-isolate.
Watch today’s livestreamed press conference
We’re hosting Facebook LIVE videos every Wednesday at 11 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.
Please note: Team members might need to access Facebook links from personal devices, due to Ballad Health network security settings.
Ballad Health supports local school systems
- Ballad Health fully supports school reopening, based on guidance from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Children deserve a strong education, and we want to support local schools in any way possible.
School systems throughout the Appalachian Highlands have tough decisions to make, and Ballad Health fully supports reopening based on guidance from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development by providing academic instruction, social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity, among other benefits.
Children deserve a strong education, and we want to support our local schools any way possible.
Mission Moment: Alison Johnson epitomizes nursing – especially during the pandemic
- As director of critical care at Johnson City Medical Center, Alison Johnson willingly and selflessly cares for patients and peers.
- Alison is leading our nursing team in caring for COVID-19 patients during this pandemic by coordinating care efforts and care models and ensuring our patients get the most current evidence-based treatments.
- She spends time with concerned families who can’t visit their loved ones, and she has arranged for end-of-life-circumstances in the most meaningful way possible.
Alison Johnson, a registered nurse and director of critical care at Johnson City Medical Center, is the epitome of what a nurse should be.
When nurses enter our hospitals, they enter into a world of unknown challenges – both physical and emotional – as they care for both patients and peers. This type of giving is particularly intense, as nurses often do not receive anything in return.
Alison willingly and selflessly does this every day. She is always willing to step up and step in, and she has never lost her passion for direct patient care. She is always available to listen and offer support. She is a true leader, helping guide decisions without making anyone feel “less than.” She would never ask anyone to do what she wouldn’t do herself.
Like Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, Alison is leading our nursing team in caring for COVID-19 patients during this pandemic. She has coordinated care efforts, care models and ensures our patients get the most current evidence-based treatments.
Alison has led our nursing team in conjunction with our total care team to ensure how we care for our patients during this pandemic is the best it possibly can be. She works tirelessly, and you will find her on the floor at all hours, serving as a caregiver, a leader, a teacher and a mentor. She spends time with concerned families who can’t visit their loved ones, and she has arranged for end-of-life-circumstances in the most meaningful way possible.
She deserves so much for all she has done in preparing and helping us with COVID-19 preparation and implementation. Put most simply: She spends her life caring for others. Alison Johnson is truly a pioneer in these uncertain times, and we thank her for her important work as we navigate caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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
- Any team members who believe they have symptoms of COVID-19 should notify their supervisors and Team Member Health immediately, and then call 423-408-7600. DO NOT come into work until specifically cleared to do so.
- All PPE requirements – including N95 use and universal eye protection – remain in place. Please note: Personal eye glasses are not considered coverage, and team members cannot use purchased clips for reading glasses. Team members who are required to wear eye coverings must use goggles or a face shield.
- Team members are reminded not to send or share patients’ COVID-19 results – the only people privy to diagnoses are those who must know in order to care for the patient.
- All team members and physicians must be screened at their facility at the beginning of their shifts with temperature checks, screening questions and signed logbooks.
- On Monday, July 27, Ballad Health will reopen the Ballad Health Medical Associates Urgent Care on Volunteer Parkway in Bristol. This was one of the locations that we temporarily closed during the initial phases of the COVID-19 response.
- We must work together to combat the spread by wearing masks, performing proper hand-hygiene and practicing physical distancing.
- The next livestreamed media update will be Wednesday, July 29, at 11 a.m. You can watch live on Ballad Health’s Facebook page, and a link will be available that afternoon.
- Community members who would like to be tested for COVID-19 should call our Nurse Connect hotline at 833-822-5523.
- COVID-19 updates, testing information and news continues to be posted to www.balladhealth.org/COVID19.
Total positive COVID-19 case count
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.
Updated case counts for July 22 from the Tennessee Department of Health were not available as of 4 p.m. The COVID-19 cases presented below reflect totals as of July 21.
Tennessee – 81,944
- July 21: 81,944
- July 20: 79,754
- July 19: 78,115
- July 18: 76,336
- July 17: 73,819
- July 16: 71,540
- July 15: 69,061
Virginia – 80,393
- July 21: 79,371
- July 20: 78,375
- July 19: 77,430
- July 18: 76,373
- July 17: 75,433
- July 16: 74,431
- July 15: 73,527
| Appalachian Highlands COVID-19 cases July 22 |
|||
| Tennessee | |||
| County | Total | New cases since July 15 | Recovered |
| Carter | 220 | 92 | 62 |
| Cocke | 175 | 56 | 119 |
| Greene | 238 | 65 | 106 |
| Hamblen | 738 | 187 | 448 |
| Hancock | 37 | 22 | 5 |
| Hawkins | 153 | 50 | 58 |
| Johnson | 52 | 4 | 38 |
| Sullivan | 444 | 154 | 230 |
| Unicoi | 70 | 9 | 56 |
| Washington | 490 | 169 | 165 |
| Tennessee totals | 2,617 | 808 | 1,281 |
| Virginia | |||
| Bland | 7 | 4 | |
| Buchanan | 61 | 13 | |
| City of Bristol | 27 | 13 | |
| Dickenson | 10 | 3 | |
| Grayson | 107 | 12 | |
| Lee | 52 | 26 | |
| City of Norton | 5 | 1 | |
| Russell | 35 | 9 | |
| Scott | 30 | 13 | |
| Smyth | 74 | 28 | |
| Tazewell | 54 | 20 | |
| Washington | 118 | 28 | |
| Wise | 58 | 10 | |
| Wythe | 78 | 16 | |
| Virginia totals | 716 | 196 | – |
| Appalachian Highlands totals | 3,333 | 1,004 | 1,281 |
