Continued improvement in today’s numbers of COVID-19 patients being treated at The University of Kansas Health System. 24 patients are being treated for the virus, down from 26 yesterday. 9 of those patients are in the ICU, same as yesterday. 4 to 5 patients are being admitted for COVID-19 treatment each day, but just as many if not more are being discharged daily. 120 total patients have been discharged since the beginning of the crisis.
Joining the panel were U.S. Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas to talk about the latest from Washington on COVID-19 and Doug Gaston, senior vice president and Chief Financial Officer at The University of Kansas Health System to talk about the financial impact of the pandemic.
Senator Moran discussed the government payouts so far to Kansas hospitals, and said hospitals ramping back up will be a key to overall economic recovery for the state and the country. He also had an update on what’s being done to increase testing for the virus in Kansas and mentioned that Kansas is receiving a donation of 100,000 medical masks from Taiwan.
Doug Gaston said hospitals have been hit hard by the pandemic and can’t stand big disruptions and loss of patient volume…some as much as 20-40%. He explained that most have a margin of about 1.7%. That means for every $1000 the hospital takes in, $17 is left after expenses. He also says The University of Kansas Health System has spent about $10 million on facility upgrades, supplies and lab testing to meet the demand of treating COVID-19 patients. He says despite the economic pressure, The University of Kansas Health System believes it’s short-sighted to reduce staff and plans no layoffs or furloughs, choosing to cut back in other areas. He says that’s the same for health system facilities in greater Kansas such as Hays and Great Bend. He says the health system has already received some much-needed government grant money.
Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System talked about the status of testing, and said a rapid-result test, such as a saliva test, will offer results in minutes…but those tests are not yet efficient enough or available for widespread use. He says the current nasal swab testing may provide a false sense of security, because it only tells you if you have COVID-19 at that particular moment in time. It doesn’t mean you won’t have it three days later. He also says the testing and screening process has changed a lot since the beginning of the pandemic and will continue to evolve to a more efficient system. He stressed that as flu season comes this fall, it will be more important than ever to get a vaccination. And he warns patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, lung disease and heart problems need to continue treatment during the pandemic, or risk their conditions worsening.
Steve Stites, MD, chief medical officer at the health system, says pandemics are a routine part of history, but are new to us. He says we have bent the curve, but this pandemic will be the challenge of our time. He stressed that it can be beaten, but that we need to reopen society thoughtfully and cautiously. He also addressed the fear many people may have on going back into a reopened society. He says just like with those in your personal “bubble,” it’s going to be even more vital as we interact with more people to observe the new norms of society, and not go back to our old ways.
Monday, May 11 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. The discussion will focus on who is in my “bubble” of protection? Can I get my hair cut? Should my kids go back to daycare? Amanda Gartner, RN, director of Quality and Safety, teams up with Dr. Hawkinson to answer these questions and more. Dr. Stites, MD asks these infectious diseases experts “What would you do?” Bring your questions for these experts,
ATTENTION media members-New procedure for calling in:
The meeting is now available by Zoom, both video and by phone. To join the Zoom Meeting by video, click https://kumc-ois.zoom.us/j/7828978628
Telephone dial-in Participants:
For those without Zoom, call 1-253-215-8782, meeting ID: 782 897 8628.
The feed is also available via TVU grid. The TVU source is UoK_Health and is being made available to all.
Feel free to send questions in advance to medicalnewsnetwork@kumc.edu.
