Columbia hospitals coordinating on COVID-19 ‘surge plans’
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia hospitals are working together to prepare for a surge in patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Robin Blount, Boone Hospital Center chief medical officer, Mid-Missouri is about a week to 10 days behind the surge trends of large cities.
"At this point, all of the hospitals have been staffed," Blount said. "We’ve been using rooms that were appropriate, at an appropriate number for the patients we have every day. We are all licensed to have more beds, more patients."
Boone spokeswoman Madison Loethen said the hospital is fully staffed according to patient needs.
Officials at both Boone Hospital Center and University of Missouri Health Care said they have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment. Blount also said they continue to keep each other updated as to the stock of each hospital's own gear.
"We certainly don’t want to overuse the equipment," Blount said. "We have really been emphasizing the appropriate use of the equipment. Because, at some point in time, we’re going to have more patients that require it, therefore the usage will go up."
Neither hospital could comment on whether any staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, or whether any are in self-quarantine. However, Eric Maze, a spokesman at MU Health Care, said they have established temporary housing for staff who need it to quarantine, isolate or are concerned about exposing family members.
Boone Hospital Center said they've been working with both Stephens College and the University of Missouri to make dorm rooms available for staff.
Associate Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mark Wakefield said MU Health Care is changing certain operating protocols with a surge of patients in mind because of COVID-19.
"We're only doing surgical cases that have a direct impact on patients, as an example," Wakefield said. "We're trying to conserve operating room capacity, supplies, protect our staff, but not endanger our patients by unwarrantedly delaying surgical care when necessary."
Wakefield also said MU Health Care held a virtual online meeting for physicians on staying well at this time.
More than 1,300 people have tested positive in Missouri for COVID-19. That total stood at about 250 just one week ago.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Tuesday that the Hearnes Center in Columbia, located close to University Hospital, is being scouted as a possible alternative medical center if the surge is patients grows so large hospitals cannot handle them.
