TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: May 13, 2020 TITLE: Weekly COVID-19 briefing – May 13, 2020 ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members. This is a review of the major activities that occurred this week related to the COVID-19 response.   COVID-19 antibody testing is available for Ballad Health team members Beginning Monday, May 18, Ballad Health will begin offering free coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) antibody testing to all team members and physicians with active staff privileges. This test does not tell you if you currently have COVID-19, but it might show if you had a previous COVID-19 infection. Gathering this information is crucial to our understanding of COVID-19, especially since current estimates suggest 25-45% of cases have mild or no symptoms. With widespread antibody testing, we’ll have a better gauge of how many people have been infected and how…

TO: Ballad Health All FROM: Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: May 4, 2020 TITLE: Updated travel guidelines ACTION: Please read and share with all team members and Ballad Health Medical Associates-employed providers.   Even as businesses and public venues across the United States begin reopening, we must remain diligent with protection measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To that end, Ballad Health has updated its travel restrictions for team members and Ballad Health Medical Associates-employed providers. Personal travel Effective immediately, personal travel/paid time off (PTO) is permitted; however, all travel requests must be approved by team members’ direct supervisor. The supervisor must be informed of the travel destination. The team member does not need to report to Team Member Health prior to travel or upon return, however all team members are required to wear a mask (patient care areas) or cloth face covering (non-patient care areas) when they return to work. International travel is not…

Here is important instruction from Lisa Smithgall, Ballad Health’s chief nurse executive, about team members wearing a surgical face mask. (See below this video for links to two other videos from Lisa, posted to the Ballad Health intranet, with advice about other important safety measures.) Wearing and washing a handmade cloth face mask. Whether to wear protective gloves in public.  

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…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: April 13, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 13, 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.   COVID-19 surge plan in Kingsport in line with preliminary recommendations to create a Women’s and Newborn Center of Excellence, from Local Visioning Committee Building on preliminary recommendations from a Visioning Committee composed of local business, academic, physician and community leaders, and local practicing physicians, we have announced changes that will lead to a dedicated women’s and newborn facility, in Kingsport – the first of its kind in the region. The changes will help with near-term efforts to enhance capacity for responding to COVID-19 while also leading towards the establishment of a dedicated women’s and newborn hospital linked with regional high acuity children’s services. These changes will…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: April 10, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 10, 2020 ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members. This is a review of the major activities that occurred Friday related to the COVID-19 response.   Connected Care Virtual Urgent Care Expanding on what was already the region’s most expansive network of telehealth technology, Ballad Health has launched a region-wide, technology-driven virtual urgent care center. The Connected Care Virtual Urgent Care Clinic offers access to care for adults and children experiencing illnesses, such as the cold or flu; eye infections; sinus infections; stomach or gastrointestinal illness; heartburn or acid reflux; minor skin conditions; sore throat; headaches; and more. This technology expansion creates even more access to its already broad network by enabling telehealth connectivity with a flat fee of $30, which includes a visit with a healthcare provider, an appropriate diagnosis and…

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,…

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…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: April 1, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – April 1, 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.   Ballad Health to deploy rapid testing for COVID-19 Starting this week, Ballad Health will be among the first healthcare systems in the nation to deploy rapid testing for COVID-19. Instead of test results for COVID-19 taking five to seven days, this new rapid molecular test, developed by diagnostics company Cepheid, will provide patients in the Appalachian Highlands with test results in five to seven hours. We have also invested additional dollars into increasing the capacity so that we will be able to process around 400 rapid tests per day within the next two to three weeks. This rapid testing will…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: March 31, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – March 31, 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.   Cluster of positive COVID-19 cases identified in Hawkins County We have identified a cluster of positive COVID-19 tests in Hawkins County, including three Hawkins County Memorial Hospital team members. The affected team members work in direct patient care roles; however, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken increasingly stringent measures to proactively safeguard patients and team members from the infection. In accordance with CDC guidelines for healthcare workers, team members and members of the medical staff will be tested for COVID-19 based on symptoms and epidemiological criteria. All testing will be coordinated with the Ballad Health infection…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: March 30, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – March 30, 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.   Safer at Home public order goes into effect Tuesday; legal release available for Ballad Health team members and medical staffs In response to rising coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) numbers, local governments have issued orders to direct all residents to remain at their places of residence unless they’re engaged in essential activities (such as going to grocery stores or pharmacies) or reporting for work at essential businesses – like Ballad Health. Local law enforcement will conduct “spot checks” for compliance to this order. A legal release has been prepared for all Ballad Health team members and physicians, which should be produced…

TO: Ballad Health Leaders (Managers, Directors, AVP, VP, SVP, EVP) FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center DATE: March 27, 2020 TITLE: Daily COVID-19 briefing – March 27, 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.   Doctor’s Day is March 30 National Doctor’s Day is Monday, March 30, and it marks an occasion to show appreciation for the physicians throughout our health system and honor the service they provide to their patients and our communities. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, Ballad Health will not host any celebratory events this year, but we encourage everyone to acknowledge how much our doctors mean to us as individuals and as part of the Ballad Health team – especially during this challenging time. Our doctors are on the frontlines of this pandemic, which makes this year’s Doctor’s Day…