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Posts in COVID-19
Moving to Third Phase of Resumption of Services: Inpatient Surgeries
June 8, 2020
On Monday, June 8, Augusta Health moved to Phase III, the final phase of its plan to safely re-open and resume elective services. Phase III adds elective surgeries that require a post-surgical inpatient stay. All these surgeries require COVID-19 testing 72 hours before the procedure and quarantine following the test until the procedure. "We've continued to monitor our dashboard daily, and are confident in our ability to move into Phase III," says Shawn Craddock, DNP, RN, CNOR, NE-BC, Administrative Director of Surgical Services, who is leading the Task Force on the resuming of outpatient...Continue Reading
Augusta Health Moves to Phase II of Reopening
May 27, 2020
On Monday, May 25, Augusta Health moved to Phase II of its plan to resume and re-open outpatient services in three phases. Phase II services include elective Outpatient Surgery, Endoscopy, Cath Lab, Sleep Lab and Inpatient/Outpatient Invasive Radiology. All of these services require pre-procedure COVID-19 testing of the patient. A quick check of the Augusta Health COVID-19 Dashboard Bed Availability Very Good Prevalence of COVID-19 in the community An increase in positive cases in the Central Shenandoah Valley district PPE Supply Very Good Confidence in safely moving to Phase II Very High "...Continue Reading
Phase I Reopening Update
May 26, 2020
On May 6, Augusta Health initiated a carefully thought-out plan to resume its elective outpatient services such as diagnostic imaging, diagnostic cardiology procedures, elective outpatient procedures and non-emergency surgeries in three phases. Reopening of these services and moving from one phase to the next is dependent on several factors: The prevalence of COVID-19 in the community and the hospital, the stock of PPE and other medical supplies, the availability of COVID-19 tests, and physicians and staff. A dashboard of statistics tracking testing, patient volume, PPE volume, number of...Continue Reading
Help for Isolation Blues
May 26, 2020
A lot of us are getting tired of isolation, tired of masks, tired of virtual visits, just tired of life in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic. We each have our own set of worries and frustrations. Though we are all roughly going through the same thing some of us have complicating factors that simply make it harder (specific issues with health, finances, childcare, eldercare, etc.). It would be hard to argue that anyone is immune from the effects of living with all of the changes that have been brought about by the Pandemic. What can we do to make things a little bit better without putting...Continue Reading
Lost in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stroke Awareness Month and Treatment
May 19, 2020
Each May, healthcare organizations observe Stroke Awareness Month to remind communities about stroke signs and symptoms, and how to prevent and treat stroke. It's an important message every year because although stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability, it is preventable and treatable. In 2020, the message takes on an increased concern. In a study published online in May as a Letter to the Editor in the New England Journal of Medicine, researcher Akash Kansagra, MD, notes that the number of people seeking stroke treatment has dropped 39% compared to pre-COIVD-19 pandemic levels...Continue Reading
Heroes at Work: Adapting Processes in a Time of Need
May 13, 2020
While some Augusta Health employees have been redeployed to new departments or roles at Augusta Health, many have stayed in their home departments. They perform vital tasks still needed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most processes and procedures have been adapted to help manage and reduce the spread of the virus. Even the routine has been revised. Allie Armstrong Allie Armstrong, a Medical Laboratory Scientist, has worked in the Augusta Health hospital laboratory for two years. The laboratory has several departments--chemistry, hematology, urinalysis, microbiology, and a blood bank. As a...Continue Reading
Crop to Community Program Connects Local Farmers to Those in Need
May 12, 2020
For every problem, there is a solution—and when community-minded people put their minds and ideas together, they find innovative and creative solutions to multiple problems. That is how Augusta Health's Crop to Community program came to be. "There were many farmers in the community who, because of the COVID pandemic, have excess crops and livestock as a result of restaurant closures and reduction in other buyers. At the same time, and although we've always had people in need of fresh food options, the pandemic has increased the concern for those with food insecurities," says Krystal Moyers, M...Continue Reading
Reopening for Outpatient Services at Augusta Health
May 7, 2020
On May 1, Governor Ralph Northam allowed Order of Public Health Emergency Two, which temporarily halted all elective procedures at Virginia hospitals, to expire. The Order was issued to conserve healthcare resources and supplies because Virginia was experiencing a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19. There were legitimate concerns that hospitals could be overwhelmed by a surge of patients. The efforts of Virginia's communities and medical facilities to flatten the curve and reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19 had success, so hospitals have been able to preserve the stock of Personal Protective...Continue Reading
Salute to Nurses: A Year of Celebration became one of Exemplification
May 5, 2020
In 2019, the World Health Organization declared 2020 to be the International Year of the Nurse—a time to celebrate and recognize the work of all nurses, often in challenging conditions, in order to advocate for increasing the investment in nursing and nurses, and to finally eliminate the shortage of nurses around the world. Then, shortly into the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world. The intersection of these two events cannot be unnoticed or disregarded. Nurses, along with all healthcare providers, are at the forefront of a battle to preserve health and society—globally as...Continue Reading
Eating Well at Home: Reconnect at Meal Time
May 1, 2020
Augusta Health's Dietitians want to help you stay healthy and sane during this time. Here are some more tips and recipes from their " Making Meals Fun!" series. Ask family members to contribute meal ideas and then to help with some part of the meal process: from setting the table to prepping the salad to cleaning up afterwards. During this strange time, take advantage of mealtime and reconnect with your family. Take a "media break"- turn off the TV and the smart devices and talk with each other! What can you talk about?? Try telling stories or jokes or chat about things you will do this...Continue Reading