This series highlights how SCP Health’s hospital and community partners are responding in real-time with strength and innovation to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic. Read our first story here—and look for more in the coming weeks.
Facility Background:
- SCP-managed Hospital Medicine program in a Louisiana hospital
- Typically seeing 15 patients per day
- Staffed with one doctor working 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a telenocturnist working from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Storyline:
DAY 1
The census is at 18 and operations are normal.
DAY 2
8 am
The census rises to 25 as the facility absorbed 9 admissions overnight—many deteriorating quickly. Twenty-four of the 25 had tested COVID-19 positive or were waiting for COVID-19 test results.
Hospital reports being out of ventilators. Only one physician is onsite, so SCP alerts our staffing operations team of the situation.
10 am
The census rises to 27 as 6 more patients are admitted from the ED.
SCP’s staffing operations team finds a FT telenocturnist to round on patients for the day and quickly gets him set up on this facility’s technology systems.
The onsite physician and telenocturnist now serving as a day rounding physician start to perform rounds, answer rapid response, and intervene on deteriorating patients.
6 pm
The two physicians report back that many patients are high acuity, deteriorate rapidly, and the telemedicine physician offers to virtually round again the next day. Both clinicians were grateful for the teamwork and collaborative efforts to flex up immediately to meet the patients’ needs.
DAY 3
The census decreases slightly to 21, and the same onsite physician and telehospitalist pair treat pair admitted patients from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Expecting census to rise again, SCP’s operations and staffing team confirms a second onsite physician to work the following four days.
SCP and the hospital also work together to procure 16 ventilators and open a satellite ICU, increasing total ICU beds to 12.
DAYS 4-7
The census begins increasing again, reaching 31 again by day 7.
All admitted patients had tested COVID-19 positive or were waiting for COVID-19 test results.
SCP and facility continue to utilize both onsite and telemedicine capabilities to handle volume, including contracting with community PCPs to augment bench strength. SCP sets goal to provide onsite coverage of two physicians for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
DAY 8
The census has surged to 41 as bed capacity was expanded. In collaboration with the CEO, SCP operations and staffing teams were able to contract with a local PCP to provide partial day coverage to provide the necessary care to the patients.
