Coronavirus March 27: 13 notes directly from physicians, hospitals

Kelly Gooch and Mackenzie Garrity -

Here are 13 notes from hospitals, health systems and physicians on their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Editor's note: This list is based on the number of COVID-19 cases reported per state. Please email Mackenzie Garrity at mgarrity@beckershealthcare.com or Kelly Gooch at kgooch@beckershealthcare.com with any announcements from your system related to COVID-19. 

New York 

1. Buffalo-based Catholic Health has admitted the first patients to its COVID-19 treatment facility at St. Joseph Campus in Cheektowaga. The health system said treatment units at the site are being phased in.

2. A nurse who treated COVID-19 patients at New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System died March 24. Kious Jordan Kelly, 48, was a nursing manager at Mount Sinai West. He tested positive for COVID-19 about two weeks ago and was hospitalized March 17. 

New Jersey 

3. Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian Health has temporarily closed its affiliated RediClinic locations inside select Rite Aids. The health system is looking to transition patients to alternate care locations. 

California

4. San Diego-based Scripps Health will temporarily close Scripps Clinic Coronado, Scripps Clinic Santee, and Scripps Clinic Bariatric and General Surgery by the end of this week. The health system said it is redirecting patients from those sites to other Scripps locations. Scripps Health's telemedicine video service is also a care option.

Michigan 

5. Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine released data March 26 at 3:55 p.m. that it has tested more than 1,400 patients for COVID-19. Of those patients, 162 have tested positive. Currently, the academic medical center is treating 58 patients with COVID-19 and waiting on 307 test results. 

6. Henry Ford Health System in Detroit has suspended online and MyChart appointment scheduling. Instead, the health system is asking patients to call their physicians directly. 

Illinois 

7. The main lobby of Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center has turned into a triage area for non-COVID-19 emergency room patients, according to The Chicago Tribune

Massachusetts

8. Michael Lauf, president and CEO of Hyannis-based Cape Cod Healthcare, in an internal memo said he will give up his April salary to help increase cash reserves amid the coronavirus pandemic. The health system board also will match Mr. Lauf's April salary by way of a donation to the system's foundation.

Pennsylvania 

9. Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health is encouraging patients who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to use its virtual care platform, JeffConnect. Additionally, the health system has opened mobile COVID-19 testing sites for patients with a physician order at all major locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

Texas

10. Houston-based MD Anderson Cancer Center has added a temporary triage center in an ambulance bay as part of its COVID-19 efforts, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to the Texas Tribune. Read about other efforts at MD Anderson here

Ohio

11. Cleveland-based University Hospitals has launched a COVID-19 monitoring app. The new app is used in partnership with a finger sensor.

Minnesota

12. Duluth-based Essentia Health has taken down job postings as it prepares for a surge amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon Pryor, MD, president of Essentia's northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin operations, told the Star Tribune. Dr. Pryor said hundreds of  job postings were taken down, and the health system has "slowed down, postponed or rescinded some offers," while still filling some positions.

13. St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth has laid off seven employees and is temporarily cutting hours for other workers, Fox 21 reported. The layoffs affected employees in what are considered nonessential roles during the outbreak, according to the TV station.

 

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