Monthly Archives: December 2020

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COVID-19 Update: Vaccines, New Advisory System Map, Nurses Share Message

Presented by Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM

New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health shows sustained severe exposure and spread (Purple Level 4) in Richland County. Medina, Portage, Stark, and Summit counties all moved from Purple Level 4 to Red Level 3 this week. Governor DeWine cautioned that a decrease from Level 4 to Level 3 does not indicate that the situation in these counties is improving, but rather that healthcare indicators, such as hospitalizations, are plateauing at a very critical level. 

“Red and purple are not all that different,” said Governor DeWine. “They both mean that a county has a very high level of cases and a very high level of COVID activity in the healthcare system. Purple simply indicates counties where things are worsening noticeably, but red counties are also at very worrisome and unsustainable levels.”

Advisory Map

A county-by-county breakdown outlining the presence of COVID-19 in all of Ohio’s 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s website.

When seeking to determine the level of risk in each county, Governor DeWine encouraged Ohioans to look more closely at the chart below which shows the number of positive cases per 1,000 residents. All 88 counties have a level of spread that is at least three times more than what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers high incidence. The top 20 counties show rates of nine to 13 times the high-incidence level. 

88 County Chart

VACCINE UPDATE

Tomorrow, as part of the federal program to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff, facilities in Ohio will be among the first in the nation to receive vaccines through Walgreen’s, CVS, PharmScript, and Absolute Pharmacy. Ohio was invited by the CDC to participate in the scaling up of the federal program.

NEW PSA FEATURING OHIO NURSES

Governor DeWine unveiled a new public service announcement featuring four of Ohio’s frontline nurses. The nurses describe what it’s like taking care of COVID patients in Ohio’s hospitals.

The featured nurses are Erin Russo of Memorial Hospital in Marysville, Dara Pence of OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Jasmine Shavers of Miami Valley Hospital, and Lisa Burich of St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. 

CURRENT CASE DATA

In total, there are 596,178 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 7,894 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 33,745 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 5,382 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page. 

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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A Visit with “Our Town” Producer Evan Shaw

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Presented by McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

Evan Shaw has 14 Emmy Awards to his credit for producing documentaries for Ohio University’s WOUB. His team is working on its next feature, Our Town: Chillicothe.

WATCH OUR VISIT WITH EVAN SHAW BELOW

Shaw, a native of Meigs County, has embraced his Appalachian roots and has been telling the stories of its communities including Athens, Jackson, Morgan County and most recently Gallipolis.

The Chillicothe feature is set for release in the fall of 2021.

Shaw says the features stretch from 300,000 years ago up to today. He jokingly notes Chillicothe is so rich with history, it’ll be tough to fit it all into an hour-long film.

“When the Adena were building their mounds, Alexander the Great was getting ready to conquer Egypt” said Shaw. “It’s that long ago. It’s hard to put that into perspective of American History… because we’re so tuned into European or Eastern History. But this has been a special place for literally thousands of years, and it’s absolutely fascinating.”

Shaw is in search of old photos and home movies for the production. You can reach the production team through Facebook, search Our Town WOUB or by email, ourtown@woub.org.

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Change in Services Offered
 at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center

Presented by Hometown-Motors, Inc.

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO – In order to maximize resources in response to the COVID 19 pandemic across the South Central Ohio market within VISN 10, the Chillicothe VA Medical Center will close the acute medical beds, including the COVID care unit.  Urgent Care will remain open.  For Veterans who need admission for acute medical care or COVID, care will be coordinated with the VA facilities in Dayton, Cincinnati and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, as well as community hospitals.  

If you need to schedule an appointment, you can contact your healthcare provider through MyHealtheVet secure messaging or call 740-773-1141, extension 5575. 

While this adjustment to inpatient procedures is effective immediately, Veterans’ needs will be continuously reassessed and adjusted as needed.

The VA continues to be committed to providing Veterans quality healthcare and meeting their healthcare needs with minimized risk to this virus.  A variety of at-home resources and virtual care options are available.  For more information about VA’s Connected Care technologies, visit connectedcare.va.gov. 

Veterans not enrolled in the VA healthcare system are encouraged to visit www.chillicothe.va.gov/enrollment.asp to register or call 740-772-7170 with questions.

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Nationwide Children’s to Deliver Nursery & Inpatient Care at Adena

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Pictured (L-R): Jeff Graham, Adena President & CEO; Dr. Sathish Jetty, Adena medical director for the Adena/NCH Pediatric Hospitalist Program; Dr. Nadeem Khan, medical director of the NCH Regional Hospitalist Program; and Kristyn Wasylik, NCH Interim Director, Regional Development.

CHILLICOTHE, OH (Dec. 16, 2020) – Adena Health System and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have expanded an ongoing partnership to now include expert, family-centered clinical care for newborns and children requiring hospitalization at Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe.

Nationwide Children’s hospitalists will begin caring for children who are hospitalized at Adena Regional Medical Center beginning in January 2021. Adena and Nationwide Children’s have been working together in helping to care for the region’s children since 2011.

Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham today praised the plan that will keep families together when a child is hospitalized for illness or recovering from a procedure. “Parents understand the stress and fear that comes with having a child in the hospital,” he said. “Adding an hour drive – each way – to spend time with the child adds another layer to that overall stress. It is our hope that by incorporating Nationwide Children’s hospitalists to the care of Adena’s newborns and pediatric inpatients will give parents and families peace of mind, knowing there are now more opportunities for them to be close to their home and family as their child recovers.”

Expansion of the current partnership comes from Adena and Nationwide Children’s common goal, to give children and families in the south central and southern Ohio region greater access to close-to-home, advanced pediatric care. 

“We look forward to working with Adena to expand the quality of pediatric specialty care in the region, and increasing access to pediatric care in and around Ross County,” said Darrell Mosby, vice president of regional development at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Together, we are expanding the quality of care, and meeting our common goal to keep children and their families closer to home as much as we can.”

Other accomplishments related to the existing Adena/Nationwide Children’s partnership include:

·        24/7 in-house newborn and pediatric inpatient coverage and care;

·        Onsite pediatric cardiology, hematology, and oncology;

·        Neonatal and Emergency Department consulting, ambassador support, and training for Adena’s Level II nursery;

·        Nationwide Children’s hospitalists rounding in special care and well-baby nursey;

·        Partners for Kids, an Accountable Care Organization collaborating with Adena Pediatrics to ensure quality of care for children enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care;

·        Education programs for Adena providers and staff;

·        Direct connect lines for transport of newborn/nursery and Emergency Department services; and

·        Pediatric patient education materials.

To learn more, visit www.adena.org and www.NationwideChildrens.org.

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COVID-19 Update: Vaccinations Continue in Ohio, Local Health Department Vaccination Guidance

Presented by Hometown-Motors, Inc.

Watch Governor DeWine’s News Conference here.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

VACCINATIONS CONTINUE IN OHIO

Seven hospitals in Ohio received their first vaccine shipments today, bringing the total number of vaccine doses delivered to Ohio over the past two days to 98,475.

Governor and First Lady DeWine were present this morning for the delivery of the vaccine shipment to Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center and Lt. Governor Jon Husted visited OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus as they received their first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.

In addition to the two aforementioned hospitals, COVID-19 vaccine shipments of 975 doses apiece were also delivered to:

  • Mercy Health St. Vincent Hospital, Lucas County
  • Cleveland Clinic, Cuyahoga County
  • Metro Health Medical Center, Cuyahoga County
  • Aultman Hospital, Stark County
  • Genesis Hospital, Muskingum County

An additional 975-dose shipment was delivered today to OhioHealth Riverside Hospital for use at OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens. 

Although vaccine supplies are currently limited, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has advised that Ohio will continue to receive vaccinations throughout the month of December. Next week, Ohio is expected to receive 123,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, as well as 201,900 doses of the Moderna vaccine. During the week of New Year’s, Ohio is expected to receive an additional 148,000 Pfizer vaccines and an additional 89,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine. 

A number of healthcare workers who received vaccinations today joined today’s public briefing to discuss their experiences, including Kasi Gardner, RN, of Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center who received her vaccine during the news conference.

Dr. Jennifer Wall Forrester, associate chief medical officer at UC Health, also discussed when citizens should call their doctors or go to the hospital if they develop COVID-19 symptoms. 

HOSPITALIZATIONS 

Ohioans continue to be hospitalized at record numbers. As of today, 5,296 patients are hospitalized throughout the state and 1,311 of those patients are in intensive care units. Ohio currently has more patients in the ICU than it had total for all COVID-19 hospitalized patients during the previous peak last summer.  There are currently 863 patients who need a ventilator, as compared to 360 patients on ventilators a month ago.

“While there is good reason to be optimistic about Ohioans receiving the vaccine, we have our work cut out for us to slow the spread of the virus until enough Ohioans can be vaccinated,” said Governor DeWine. “We must continue rallying together to prevent overwhelming our hospitals.”

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT VACCINATION GUIDANCE

Next week, local health departments in Ohio that registered as providers are expected to begin receiving vaccines.  Today, Governor DeWine outlined guidance on individuals who should be prioritized by health departments during Phase 1A.

Local health departments should coordinate the vaccinations of congregate care residents and staff, such as those at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, who are not enrolled in the federal long-term care pharmacy programs or are not registered as providers themselves. This includes people with developmental disabilities and those with mental health disorders, including substance use disorders, who live in group homes, residential facilities, or centers, as well as staff.

In addition, local health departments should prioritize vaccinating other healthcare providers who are not being vaccinated by hospitals and health systems and are not enrolled as providers themselves.  These providers could include:

  • Home health workers
  • Hospice workers
  • Emergency medical services responders
  • Primary care practitioners
  • Free-standing emergency department, urgent care, pharmacy, and dialysis center providers not vaccinated by hospitals or healthcare systems
  • Dental providers
  • Public health employees who are at risk of exposure or transmission, such as vaccinators
  • Mobile unit practitioners
  • Federally-qualified health center providers
  • High-risk ancillary health care staff members

CURRENT CASE DATA

In total, there are 579,357 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 7,654 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 32,878 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 5,283 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page. 

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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A LITTER MEDIA THROWBACK: CCSD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS CONSTRUCTION

Presented by McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

A LITTER MEDIA THROWBACK: Our video tour of the new Chillicothe Intermediate Elementary School (for Grades 3-6) which opened after Christmas Break in January of 2019.

Thanks to CCSD School Board President Steve Mullins for the follow up tour to a video from earlier in 2018 and to former Superintendent Jon Saxton for the initial view of the elementary buildings in April of 2018.

This was the completion of a long journey for Chillicothe City Schools, with the concept for its entire district construction phases beginning in 2002. Now, concept has become reality top to bottom for Grades K-12. Chillicothe truly has something to take pride in for generations to come.

Here are links to other Litter Media videos produced during the elementary constructions:

Chillicothe Primary and Intermediate Schools During Construction:

Chillicothe Intermediate Tour During Construction:

Chillicothe Primary Tour:

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COVID-19 Update: Vaccinations Begin in Ohio

Presented by McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

Watch Governor DeWine’s December 14th COVID-19 Update here.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

VACCINATIONS BEGIN IN OHIO

Governor DeWine announced today that the first COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered in Ohio. Shipments of 975 doses were delivered this morning to both The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus and UC Health in Cincinnati. Several healthcare workers and personnel who are routinely involved with the care of COVID-19 patients immediately received vaccinations. 

“It was such a moment of hope to watch the healthcare workers begin to get vaccinated today,” said Governor DeWine. “Today is the first day of a process that will continue over the months ahead as Ohioans who choose to be vaccinated have their opportunity to receive the vaccine. However, until the vaccine is widely available for all Ohioans who choose to receive it, we must continue to use all available tools to prevent the spread of the virus, like wearing a mask, keeping your distance, and washing your hands.”

Vaccine shipments will be delivered to eight additional hospitals in Ohio tomorrow:

  • Mercy Health St. Vincent Hospital, Lucas County
  • Cleveland Clinic, Cuyahoga County
  • Metro Health Medical Center, Cuyahoga County
  • Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center, Clark County
  • OhioHealth Riverside Hospital, Franklin County
  • Aultman Hospital, Stark County
  • OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital, Athens County
  • Genesis Hospital, Muskingum County

All 10 hospitals were selected based on geography, population, and access to ultra-cold storage capacity. 

As COVID-19 vaccines continue to come to Ohio, Cardinal Health’s OptiFreight Logistics business will help provide same-day delivery services. Once the vaccine is widely available, this partnership will allow Ohio to ship the vaccine to approximately 350 locations across the state.  

NURSING HOME VACCINATIONS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has invited Ohio to participate in an early scaled launch of vaccinations in nursing homes. Ohio will begin providing vaccinations in five to ten nursing homes starting this Friday, December 18. 

Ohio had previously been scheduled to start its nursing home vaccination program in partnership with pharmacy providers on Monday, December 21.

VACCINATION DASHBOARD

Governor DeWine announced that Ohio will launch a new COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard in the coming days at coronavirus.ohio.gov. The dashboard will list the number of people vaccinated in Ohio and will be sortable by demographic and by county.

CURRENT CASE DATA

In total, there are 570,602 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 7,551 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 32,264 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 5,209 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page. 

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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COVID-19 Update: Stay Safe Ohio Protocol, Curfew Extension, Sports Variance

Presented by Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted today provided the following updates on Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

STAY SAFE OHIO PROTOCOL

Governor DeWine today unveiled the new Stay Safe Ohio Protocol. The protocol was developed in partnership with medical professionals across the state to inform Ohioans how to safely live with the virus.


Protocal

Governor DeWine was joined by medical professionals throughout the state to explain the importance of the protocols.  

CURFEW EXTENSION

Governor DeWine announced today that the Ohio Department of Health will be extending the 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. statewide curfew until January 2, 2021.

The curfew does not apply to those going to and from work, those who have an emergency, or those who need medical care. The curfew is not intended to stop anyone from getting groceries or going to the pharmacy.  Picking up carry-out or a drive-thru meal and ordering for delivery will be permitted, but serving food and drink within an establishment must cease at 10 p.m.

“COVID-19 is the single greatest threat to the physical well-being of all Ohioans, the mental health of our citizens, and our economic security,” said Governor DeWine. “We must do everything we can to slow down the spread of this virus.”

The decision to extend the curfew was made with input from the medical and business communities with consideration to the economic impact and health care system.

The extended order can be found at coronavirus.ohio.gov.

OHIO PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY SYSTEM

New health data compiled by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) showed sustained severe exposure and spread (Purple Level 4) in Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark and Summit counties. Ashland and Guernsey counties were moved to the Watch List.

Noble, Harrison and Washington counties moved to Red Level 3 for the first time since implementation of the Advisory System in April.

Ohio also had 11,738 new cases reported between yesterday and today, which is the fourth highest case court to date. A total of 452 new hospitalizations were reported, as well as 111 deaths.

Advisory Map

A county-by-county breakdown outlining the presence of COVID-19 in all of Ohio’s 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System’s website.

SPORTS VARIANCE

The Ohio Department of Health will issue a variance to the curfew for specific sporting events in Ohio. The start times of these games are dictated by national television contracts, and as a result, the games would not be finished until after the 10 p.m. curfew.

More information will be available at coronavirus.ohio.gov in the coming days.

DINE SAFE

Lt. Governor Husted encouraged Ohioans to do what they can to support local restaurants during this time, whether it’s by carrying out a meal at least once a week or by ordering delivery. He also recommended giving out restaurant gift cards as gifts for family and friends this holiday season.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

As another update in Ohio’s economic recovery, the Lt. Governor discussed two new projects that are putting Ohio on the map as far as innovation in transportation technology.

Agility Prime: Earlier today, the Lt. Governor joined officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton Development Coalition, JobsOhio, City of Springfield, BETA Technologies, and Joby Aviation to participate in a virtual groundbreaking event for a new advanced urban air mobility technology simulator facility at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.

The Air Force recently launched the program, which seeks to accelerate the commercial market for advanced air mobility aircraft and create a robust domestic industry and supply chain to support their development and production.

Waymo: Last week, Waymo – one of the world leaders in autonomous driving technology – announced their plan to develop new proprietary features at TRC’s SMARTCenter to help them advance their Waymo Driver self-driving system and driverless Class 8 truck. This is a big win for Ohio as it’s the first time Waymo has established a permanent presence at a third-party test site.

The Lt. Governor underscored what these announcements mean to Ohio’s recovery and how they attract investment, new technologies and workforce development.

“This can really be an important part of the foundation for our economic recovery in 2021,” Lt. Gov. Husted said. “We really welcome these new investments from companies who are outside of Ohio – who are bringing their investments to Ohio – to start brand new innovations, brand new companies and brand new technologies that we hope will benefit Ohioans for generations to come.”

FOODBANKS

First Lady Fran DeWine encouraged Ohioans to consider donating to The Ohio Association of Foodbanks, which serves all 88 counties. The Ohio National Guard has assisted foodbanks throughout the state this year in distributing more than 79 million pounds of food. 

More information about how to donate can be found at OhioFoodbanks.org/Coronavirus. 

CURRENT CASE DATA

In total, there are 531,850 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 reported in Ohio and 7,298 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths. A total of 31,142 people have been hospitalized throughout the pandemic, including 5,090 admissions to intensive care units. In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. 

Video of today’s full update, including versions with foreign language translation, can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s YouTube page. 

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

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Adena Taking Aggressive, Innovative Steps to Meet Coronavirus Challenges

Presented by McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

CHILLICOTHE, OH (Dec. 10, 2020) – Dire circumstances often require creative responses. That’s certainly been the case for Adena Health System in the midst of its largest COVID-19 patient surge since the pandemic began in the spring.

In addition to challenges created by recent rapid and marked increases in COVID positive patient volumes, mounting hospitalizations across the region also have virtually eliminated the possibility of being able to transfer patients to other health systems when Coronavirus surge numbers exceed Adena Regional Medical Center’s (ARMC) 30-bed COVID cohort unit’s capacity.

In order to continue providing the most comprehensive care, not only for its COVID-19 patients but those utilizing other medical services in the communities served by Adena, the Health System has turned to several new initiatives and solutions for meeting the challenges presented by COVID-19.

“When we were for preparing for COVID-19 back in March, our focus was around understanding the virus and securing the proper amounts of personal protective equipment required to safely care for patients and protect our staff. Fast forward to today and it is vastly different,” said Adena President & CEO Jeff Graham. “We continue to see record numbers daily of COVID patients, as well as care for record numbers of patients through our urgent care locations. I cannot express enough my gratitude for our providers and caregivers during this time, as we have been able to safely care for the communities across our nine-county service region while also keeping a focus on tomorrow. Our ability to anticipate the challenges ahead and put creativity and innovation at the forefront to implement strategies quickly and effectively has allowed us to stay strong and provide care for the patients and families counting on us.”

Here’s a brief rundown of those efforts and what they mean to patients and their families:

  • Critical Access Hospitals: As patient surges in the COVID-19 unit at ARMC began to more frequently push toward capacity slightly less than a month ago, Adena Greenfield Medical Center (AGMC) and Adena Pike Medical Center (APMC) began working toward creating space in their hospitals for COVID-19 patients on the road to recovery who were not quite healthy enough to be sent home. The idea was to free up beds and staffing in the COVID-19 unit at Adena Regional Medical Center for the most serious Coronavirus patients. AGMC prepared an eight-room wing separate from the remainder of the hospital, outfitting it to safely handle the needs of Coronavirus patients, and opened it to its first patients a couple weeks ago. With the surge in hospitalizations, the unit most days is operating at or near capacity. Adena Pike Medical Center in Waverly, meanwhile, began accepting COVID-19 patients with a similar approach to that of AGMC last week.
  • Adena at Home: In another effort to ease the crunch on bed space and staffing, an Adena at Home initiative began this week. Using a telemedicine and tele-monitoring approach, the program identifies COVID-19 patients recovering in the COVID units who are able to care for themselves at home but still have symptoms significant enough to require monitoring. Those patients can now be sent home with self-monitoring equipment such as an iPad with messaging and video capabilities, blood pressure cuffs and pulse oximeters to take readings they can share with medical staff who check in daily on their condition and answer questions or make any needed adjustments to medications. The initiative also offers 24/7 remote nursing support should a patient or their families experience something unexpected overnight. The program may be expanded over time to include patients who are showing symptoms at the Emergency Department or Urgent Cares that may not be serious enough to require admittance as an inpatient. Primary care offices may become part of a third phase of implementing the Adena at Home program should it become necessary. Patients will not be required to take part in the Adena at Home option, and their families will be included in the decision-making process as well as receive education on how they can help monitor the patient and what to do should an emergency arise.
  • Use of PACCAR Medical Education Center: As a way to help determine the best course of action for patients related to the COVID-19 surge, the PACCAR Medical Education Center on the Adena Regional Medical Center campus is being pressed into service the middle of this month as a respiratory surge center. Patients arriving at the Emergency Department or referred by their primary care physician with symptoms that could suggest COVID-19 will be directed to the facility for a full evaluation and possible period of monitoring to determine the best options for their care.
  • Blended and expanded staffing: Adena is aggressively pursuing additional nursing staff to help meet increasing needs brought about by the COVID-19 patient surge. In addition to conducting a recent recruitment and hiring fair to boost permanent staffing, the health system has contracted with a rapid staffing firm specializing in providing medical staff in disaster relief situations to temporarily help bolster staff levels. Many among the Health System and Adena Medical Group staff also have either volunteered to take extra shifts or to tackle other duties in order to meet staffing needs to best serve patients.
  • COVID Inpatient Placements: Adena Regional Medical Center has begun placing COVID and non-COVID patients on the same inpatient units in some trial areas. This type of blended patient placement allows for flexibility with nursing assignments and room availability, and offers more ability to match patient’s needs with provider and staff resources and skill sets throughout the system. Care teams on these units are skilled in managing a variety of other infectious disease processes such as MRSA and C-Diff in safely meeting the care needs for these patients. 

As it has been from the start, the situation surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic continues to be a fluid one. Adena officials will continue monitoring the latest in vaccine development and availability and making any other operational changes that should become necessary in the coming months in order to see that our communities navigate the crisis as effectively and safety as possible.

Meanwhile, every individual in the community plays a role in reducing COVID-19 patient surges. Please observe well-publicized public safety protocols, including wearing masks, maintaining at least six feet of social distancing, practicing frequent and rigorous hand washing for at least 20 seconds at a time and avoiding large gatherings.

Graham concluded, “Our healthcare heroes need your help. Our caregivers have been treating COVID-19 patients for over 10 months – and they are exhausted. We cannot pick and choose when we follow these safety guidelines. We have to follow them every single day if we want to beat this virus. We are all in this together.”