COVID numbers are down across the state from six months ago, but hospitalizations are still high, an average of one person a day is still dying from COVID, staffing is a big problem in the healthcare industry and we could be in for a difficult fall and winter with another COVID surge. Those were the main points brought home by 14 hospital chief medical officers who gathered for a news and community conference call today.
Here are the 12 doctors who participated in the order they spoke. The link to the entire news conference is above.
- Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System
- Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control, The University of Kansas Health System
- Dr. Richard Watson, co-founder, Motient
- Dr. Kim Megow, Chief Medical Officer, HCA Midwest Health
- Dr. Lisa Hays, Chief Medical Officer, Advent Health Shawnee Mission
- Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, infectious diseases physician at LMH Health and public health officer for Douglas County
- Dr. Raghu Adiga, Interim President and CEO, Liberty Hospital
- Dr. Kevin Dishman, Chief Medical Officer, Stormont Vail Health
- Dr. Ahmad Batrash, Chief of Staff, Kansas City VA Hospital
- Dr. Heather Harris, Medical Director, HaysMed
- Dr. Samer "Sam" Antonios, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Via Christi Health
- Dr. James Stewart, Chief Medical Officer, North Kansas City Hospital
Key points from the panel: (Time codes in parentheses)
Dr. Stites
- Even with lower COVID numbers, hospital census very high. Transfers still limited. There’s a lot of other sickness out there (7:50)
- If we get a COVID surge this fall, it could be our most difficult fall yet (25:20)
Dr. Hawkinson
- FDA plans to authorize COVID omicron boosters around Labor Day (3:30)
Dr. Watson
- The real problem is demand for beds remains very high with not enough people to staff those beds. (7:10)
- Behavioral health problems have increased demand for beds, and there are fewer resources available for transferring patients (9:50)
Dr. Dishman
- As a safety net hospital, Stormont Vail is not able to keep up with the demand from referral hospitals. (19:20)
- 20% of healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, ancillary and administrative staff, have left the profession. Rebuilding is going to be difficult. (20:10)
Dr. Schrimsher
- The number of people developing long-COVID is much higher than we originally thought. (36:40)
- First confirmed case of monkeypox in Douglas County (15:35)
Dr. Antonios
- Immunity, either from having COVID or the vaccine, has been effective at keeping people out of the hospital. (30:00)
- Every community needs its hospital and the best they can do is show kindness for the hospital and its workers (58:25)
Dr. Adiga
- Since beginning of pandemic, almost half of staff have had COVID, which puts a strain on patient capacity (17:20)
Dr. Megow
- Sees fewer people in the communities adhering to COVID guidelines and approach toward vaccines has been somewhat relaxed as well (41:00)
Dr. Batrash
- High number of non-COVID admissions this summer, caused higher than normal occupancy rate. A fall COVID surge is a big concern. (24:40)
Friday, August 26 at 8:00 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Hernia surgery used to take days of recovery in the hospital and weeks of sometimes painful rehabilitation at home. But now there’s a way to get patients out of the hospital the same day…and walking a mile the next day. We’ll show you how.
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