Michigan hospital systems prepare for COVID-19 patient overflow – The Oakland Press

Michigan's largest hospital systems are bracing for potential patient overflow amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, state health officials alsoconfirmed three new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the statewide total to six. There are 229 confirmed cases in Oakland County, 248 in Detroit, 101 in Wayne County and 101 in Macomb County. The state's updated totals are from cases tallied Friday up to midnight and include positive test results confirmed by state, commercial, and hospital labs.

Saturday night, two more deaths were confirmed bringing the statewide total to eight. Spectrum Health officials confirmed the state's seventh death, a male in his 70's who was being treated at Spectrum Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, and Henry Ford Health confirmed the state's eighth death, a 52-year-old Macomb County man with underlying health conditions who died at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital.

Last week, as the number of infected patients in Michigan grew, hospital systems such as Beaumont Health, Henry Ford Health, The University of Michigan, Spectrum, and the Detroit Medical Center, voluntarily postponed elective procedures to help free up beds for severely ill patients, including those showing COVID-19 symptoms and patients needing emergency care.

Then on Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered hospitals, freestanding surgical outpatient facilities, dental facilities, and all state-operated outpatient facilities, to postpone all non-essential procedures until the COVID-19 state of emergency was lifted. The orders took effect at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 21.

"By postponing all non-essential medical and dental procedures, we expect to reduce the strain on the healthcare system and protect people," Whitmer said. "My administration will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of the disease and ensure our children, families, and businesses have the support they need during these challenging times.

Most ICU beds are occupied and there may not be enough of them, according to Associated Press data compiled from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2018, the latest available numbers.

As the number of COVID-19 cases within the U.S. continues to grow, many hospitals are bracing themselves for an expected onslaught of coronavirus patients. The number of beds available in these hospitals, especially intensive care unit beds for the severely ill patients, is critical for managing the incoming surge.

John Karasinski, spokesperson for theMichigan Health and Hospital Association, saidhospitals across the state have implemented their emergency response plans, which include increasing bed capacity during a surge of patients.

"Many hospitals have already postponed or delayed elective surgery procedures to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients and to preserve supplies," he said.

In Oakland County, there are 368 ICU beds at 12 hospitals. That number includes 138 at Beaumont in Royal Oak and 56 at Beaumont Hospital in Troy. Data shows on average 122 were empty at any given time. There are 3,400 general beds at county healthcare facilities and data shows an average 92 were empty.

In Wayne County, there are 404 ICU bed at 14 hospitals. That number includes 80 at Henry Ford Hospital in Wyandotte and 56 at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. Data shows an average of 10 were open at any given time.There are 4,218 general beds and data shows an average of 95 were open.

In Macomb County, there are 122 ICU beds at four hospitals. That includes 48 at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Mt. Clemens and 41 at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren. Data shows an average of 10 ICU beds were open at any given time. There are 1,013 general beds at those hospitals, with an average of 90 beds open.

Here's what each of the state's major hospital systems are doing to prepare for a potential tidal wave of patients:

Hospitals include Beaumont Hospital in Dearborn; Beaumont Hospital in Farmington Hills; Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe; Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak; Beaumont Hospital in Taylor; Beaumont Hospital in Trenton; Beaumont Hospital in Troy; Beaumont Hospital in Wayne

On Friday, Beaumont announced it was postponing non-essential procedures until after May 1.

"We started notifying patients on Monday, March 16 of this change," said spokesperson Mark Geary. "We are also not booking any new non-essential surgeries until after May 1. If a physician or a surgeon thinks a patient surgery is essential, our physician leadership will evaluate the request and determine whether to allow the surgery to proceed.

If Beaumont hospitals receive a large influx of patients, they will receive care on a unit dedicated to COVID-19 patients. Precautionary measures are being taken to protect these patients and their caregivers by treating them in special units.

Beaumont has also created a physician-led task force to develop a set of guidelines in response to the U.S. Surgeon Generals recommendation to cancel elective surgeries.

CEO John Fox said system guidelines emphasize patient safety and quality, while also considering inpatient capacity, patient flow and resources.

The guidelines will change as the situation unfolds. There will also be circumstances that require us to make exceptions and evaluate on a case-by-case basis. We are also talking with other health systems around the country, exchanging information and working together with them. We are not competitors right now. We are united together in a common national effort."

Hospitals include Henry Ford Hospital; Henry Ford Allegiance Health; Henry Ford Macomb Hospitals in Clinton Township and Warren; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital; Henry Ford Kingswood

Henry Ford last week postponed "non-time sensitive" procedures and surgeries. According to hospital officials, the decision was made "to protect the health and safety of patients and to ensure the availability of medical equipment and resources in the event of a patient surge.

Procedures and surgeries are performed at five Henry Ford hospitals and six outpatient surgery locations.

The hospital system is also monitoring its supply of masks, gowns, face shields, wipes and other products to keep patients and team members safe.

"Like all health systems, our concerns will increase as the number of positive cases arise," said the hospital system in a statement. "We are in constant communication with our suppliers and continue to take measures to extend the life of our supplies. For their safety against potential exposure, Emergency Department personnel are now wearing a surgical mask during their work shift."

Henry Ford Health has 360 ICU beds across its hospital system as well as 150 negative pressure isolation rooms where COVID-19 patients would be treated. The system's total bed count is 2,305.

Beds: Henry Ford Hospital, 877; Henry Ford Allegiance, 475; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, 361; Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, 401; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, 191.

Staffed hospital bed occupancy (as of March 13): Henry Ford Hospital, 83 percent; Henry Ford Allegiance, 78 percent; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital, 75 percent; Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, 62 percent; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, 81 percent

Hospitals include University Hospital; C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital; Von Voightlander Womens Hospital; Frankel Cardiovascular Center; Rogel Cancer Center

Mary Masson, director of public relations for U-M Medicine, said the hospital system is staffed for 972 beds. She added that elective procedures have been postponed to open up bed capacity.

"We are preparing and planning to handle additional patients. Michigan Medicine has been proactively monitoring and ordering supplies to prepare for patient surge," she said. "As part of that, we have reached out to all areas of the university to collect supplies. We currently have adequate supplies to treat our patients and protect our employees."

The university has also executed the next phase of a comprehensive COVID-19 planning and response program which includes the opening of a 32-bed isolation unit to treat COVID-19 patients.

In this unprecedented time, we have moved forward with the activation of a Regional Infectious Containment Unit (RICU), said Dr. Marschall Runge, CEO of Michigan Medicine and dean of the Medical School. This unit enhances care and minimizes risk of disease spread, while improving safety of patients on and off the unit, visitors and staff.

In addition, the university announced that many outpatient appointments are being shifted to a video visit format for the safety and convenience of patients. The supply of crucial supplies like masks, hand sanitizer and other personal protective equipment is being monitored. Orders are proactively being placed for additional supplies.

Hospitals include DMC Childrens Hospital of Michigan in Troy; DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital; DMC Harper University Hospital; DMC Heart Hospital; DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital; DMC Hutzel Womens Hospital; DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan; DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital

Jason Barczy, DMC communications director, said the systemcontinues to closely monitor the CDCs COVID-19 guidance and adjust measures in place to ensure the safety of our patients and staff," he said."We have developed guidelines for elective care given new guidance from authorities. We seek to balance the needs for care for those with chronic or other illnesses that require healthcare diagnostics or procedures and where delaying it could cause them to require emergency care a few weeks from now, at a time when COVID-19 cases might be ramping up."

He said the hospital system routinely treats infectious diseases and has strong infection control policies, procedures, and systems in place to screen and treat patients.

"Our hospital has taken the appropriate steps, and we have trained professionals and the necessary equipment to react accordingly," he said. "Our clinical teams are in constant review of infection prevention processes and update patient screenings as recommended by the CDC.

Hospitals include McLaren Bay Region; McLaren Caro Region; McLaren Central Michigan; McLaren Flint; McLaren Greater Lansing; McLaren Lapeer Region; McLaren Macomb; McLaren Northern Michigan; McLaren Oakland; McLaren Port Huron; McLaren Thumb Region; Karmanos Cancer Institute

Kevin Tompkins, McLaren Health spokesperson, said the hospital system is working around the clock to address all elements of its preparedness for this rapidly evolving pandemic.

"We have multiple teams working on all aspects of Supply Chain, Human Resources, patient safety and clinical care and other logistics and training directly related to responding to this health crisis," he said.

All 14 of the system's hospitals have emergency departments staffed and equipped to deal with a wide range of emergency health care needs, said Tompkins. He added all ICU and inpatient beds will be maximized to accommodate all necessary admissions.

"The Emergency Room is not where people should go if they are concerned that they might have been infected by the coronavirus," he said. "Patients should only go to the Emergency Room if theyre experiencing severe respiratory symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath."

Tompkins said the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic along with its associated unknown aspects, including rate and speed of its spread, present a "very real potential of placing significant strain on the existing hospital infrastructure both within the state and nationally."

The hospital system's need for critical supplies, such as ventilators, face masks, and other personal protection equipment will depend on patient demand over the next week or two.

Hospitals include Ascension Borgess Hospital; Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital; Ascension Borgess-Pipp Hospital; Ascension Brighton Center for Recovery; Ascension Genesys Hospital; Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital (Warren Campus and Madison Heights Campus); Ascension Providence Hospital (Southfield Campus and Novi Campus); Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital; Ascension River District Hospital; Ascension St. John Hospital; Ascension St. Joseph Hospital; Ascension St. Marys Hospital; Ascension Standish Hospital.

Melissa Thrasher, spokesperson for Ascension, said the hospital system is always preparing for an influx of patients, but with increased focus prior to cold and flu season.

"We have stood up a virtual command center and are meeting throughout the day on a daily basis," she said. "We are working in alignment with our local, state and national public health and community partners and suppliers to assess our readiness and address any identified needs."

In terms of supplies, she said the system is taking proactive steps with its distributors and suppliers to ensure access to critical supplies. This includes arranging expedited shipments directly from manufacturers, assessing alternative products and taking advantage of the system's ability as a national system to make intra-hospital inventory transfers when appropriate.

"We have also implemented conservation measures, in anticipation of further supply chain disruption over the coming months due to COVID-19," she said. "At this time, we are not experiencing any issues with our supply inventories."

Hospitals include Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital; Spectrum Health Reed City Hospital; Spectrum Health United Hospital; Spectrum Health Special Care Hospital; Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital; Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital; Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital; Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital; Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital; Spectrum Health Lakeland, Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial; Spectrum Health Kelsey Hospital; Spectrum Health Pennock; Priority Health.

On Tuesday, the hospital system announced it would cancel all appointments, surgeries and procedures that are not urgent or emergency-related through March 31. All patients with scheduled non-urgent appointments, procedures or surgeries will be contacted by their provider regarding next steps.

We believe this is the right step to protect our patients, team members and communities, said Darryl Elmouchi, chief medical officer, Spectrum Health System and president. We appreciate the understanding of our communities as we navigate this unprecedented situation and strive to do what is right. We will continue to evaluate this on a weekly basis and will extend these closures as needed.

In an effort to increase patient safety, outpatient laboratory services have moved to new locations at both Reed City and Big Rapids Hospitals.

Were trying to accommodate as many patients as possible while ensuring our hospital remains safe for patients and staff, said Shane Cornelius, lab manager. We appreciate everyones cooperation and understanding.

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Michigan hospital systems prepare for COVID-19 patient overflow - The Oakland Press