Open St. Joseph's?: Mission, Pardee, AdventHealth share plans to meet coronavirus demand
ASHEVILLE - As COVID-19 cases rise, local health care experts anticipate a surge of patients to Western North Carolina hospitals. Some say the hospitals' current capacities — for bed space, personnel and ventilators — won't meet the demand.
"We are underwater with regard to being prepared for this," said Patrick Baron, program director of the school of health sciences at Western Carolina University. "We're starting from such a deficit."
The Citizen Times is providing this story for free to readers because of the need for information about the coronavirus. We encourage you to further support local journalism bysubscribing.
More:Coronavirus: Experts, data say WNC is 'underwater' in having hospital beds to fight COVID-19
Antony Chiang, CEO at Dogwood Health Trust, estimated that more than 1,000 confirmed positive cases in Western North Carolina would “push our health system into stress.”
As of March 27, the 18 western-most counties in the state reported 23 COVID-19 cases. Due to limited testing, the actual number of coronavirus cases likely dwarfs these counts. With higher case reports in Raleigh and Charlotte, regional health experts brace for a sharp increase of COVID-19 patients in the next few weeks.
More:Cooper: how NC will handle hospital bed shortage amid coronavirus pandemic
"Right now, we estimate that we’re about two weeks behind Wake and Mecklenburg Counties," said Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer at Pardee UNC Health. On March 27, Pardee officials confirmed the hospital's first COVID-19 patient.
While mountain area hospitals — Mission, Pardee, AdventHealth and Charles George VA Medical Center — say they have the beds, staff and ventilators to treat the COVID-19 patients presenting right now, each is developing contingency plans to increase capacity if and when cases spike.
Suspending elective surgeries was a first step. Now, as cases grow, local hospitals shared their plans on bed space, personnel, and ventilators with the Citizen Times.
Mission Health
Current Capacity: 1,091 beds across campuses, 84 ventilators.
Plans to meet demand:
Bed space: Should the need arise, Mission will also open access to unused space in its St. Joseph building in Asheville, which includes a 14-bed intensive care unit and an old Emergency Department. Mission will also convert general hospital beds into ICU beds as needed.
Mission spokeswoman Nancy Lindell said Mission Health would consider directing less ill patients to its five secondary hospitals across Western North Carolina, leaving Mission Hospital in Asheville with more space to treat any critically ill patients.
Personnel: According to Lindell, hospitals will consider "emergency credentialing" of nurses and physicians who are not currently employed by Mission. The hospital will continue to hire traveling staff as well.
Ventilators: Mission anticipates increased demand for ventilators, and Lindell says the company will continue to try to secure more to meet this potential demand.
More:Hearing anxieties, Mission Health allows staff masks amid coronavirus outbreak
Pardee Memorial Hospital
Current Capacity: 222 beds, 14 ventilators.
Plans to meet demand:
Beds pace: Hospital leaders are evaluating using non-clinical spaces on the Pardee campus for patient care, if need be. Pardee is also considering repurposing critical care and pediatric beds for COVID-19 positive patients.
Personnel: Due to fewer overall patient visits, Pardee has "flexed" or removed part of its staff from their regular schedules. Ellis said these staff members will return to provide additional support in the event of a patient surge. Surgical staff who are not performing operations will help in the ICU or Emergency Department.
Pardee still welcomes travel nurses from other regions as well as retired physicians who are willing and able to reactivate their licenses.
Ventilators: In addition to the 14 ventilators at Pardee, the hospital acquired four more ventilators and is pursuing an additional 10.
AdventHealth Hendersonville
Current Capacity: 103 beds, 15 ventilators.
Plans to meet demand:
Bed space: AdventHealth can convert two wings to negative pressure for COVID-19 positive patients. (Negative pressure areas are created by adjusting ventilation systems such that 'germ-filled' air can't leave a sealed-off space like a hospital room or building. The technique is used to help contain the spread of a disease to other parts of a facility.)
Personnel: A 'Disaster Privileging Mechanism' will allow AdventHealth to bring in outside clinicians (i.e., urgent care doctors or family practice doctors) if cases spike. According to AdventHealth Hendersonville spokeswoman Victoria Dunkle, staff are being cross trained in different hospital areas to increase their flexibility to meet multiple needs in the event of a patient influx.
The hospital will also still consider hiring traveler staff from other regions.
Ventilators: With the recent arrival of eight ventilators, AdventHealth now has 15.
Charles George VA Medical Center
Current Capacity: 119 beds, 2,200 staff.
Plans to increase capacity: The Citizen Times asked Charles George VA Medical Center about its plans to increase bed space and personnel capacities and did not receive a response within 24 hours of the request.
Mackenzie Wicker contributed reporting.
Brian Gordon is the education and social issues reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Send him an email at bgordon@citizentimes.com Follow him on Twitter at @briansamuel92.
Elizabeth Anne Brown is the trending news reporter for the Citizen Times. Reach her at eabrown@citizentimes.com, or follow her on Twitter @eabrown18.