The region's hospitals are working together

NORWALK — The region's hospitals are working together and are "in a state of readiness," said the North Coast Healthcare Collaborative. The collaborative is made up of Fisher-Titus Medical Center, The Bellevue Hospital, Magruder, and Firelands Regional Medical Center and gave a full picture of what is being done in the region to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. "All four hospitals have been in a state of readiness even before the pandemic started, implementing screening measures and precautions. It was important to us to be ready to serve and protect our community when it entered our counties," said the North Coast Healthcare Collaborative. "In addition, the facilities are all in 24/7 Incident Command and remain in close contact with one another. On Saturday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine talked about how hospitals must work together – it's the only way we can get through this approaching peak." Officials said the response from the communities, including local businesses, has been overwhelming. "Our hospitals cannot thank them enough for thinking of our healthcare workers during this time," they said. The collaborative said they are stronger together and "how we as a region are coming together to deal with this crisis bodes well for how we will come out of it." Fisher-Titus has launched a public health campaign reminding people on proper handwashing techniques, to cover cough/sneezes, and to stay home/social distance. Magruder has launched a COVID-19 website specific to current hospital restrictions, education and prevention, and other national and state resources. The Bellevue Hospital has stayed connected with the community to assess their needs by setting up virtual meetings with Bellevue city officials and local clergy to discuss ways to help residents during this time of uncertainty. All four hospitals have separate clinical areas to assess, treat and group patients that do and do not have symptoms of the coronavirus. "Firelands has worked with the Erie County Health Department to identify community-based facilities to house both symptomatic and non-symptomatic patients who cannot return to their previous living environment," hospital officials said. "Area hospitals are working together on a larger scale as it relates to this as well." Hospital officials said not to be concerned if you see tents being put up around facilities, "this is all to have a position of preparedness." "As we continue to finalize surge plans based on data provided by the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Hospital Association over the weekend, it may be necessary to use tents in a number of different ways including screenings and assessments of patents," said the North Coast Healthcare Collaborative. "There are currently tents erected on the Fisher-Titus, Firelands Regional Medical Center, and The Bellevue Hospital campuses and the public should not be concerned if they see additional tents put up. This is all to have a position of preparedness. In addition, The Bellevue Hospital has also installed a trailer on its campus to help with patient flow if needed." Magruder Hospital has not currently set up a tent but is looking at this option, which can be deployed quickly. Magruder has set up a separate Respiratory Care Unit, in a building next to the hospital's emergency room. Currently, any patients suspected of COVID-19 are being treated in this area. "Fisher-Titus has requested materials including all types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and has received eight ventilators from the state while Firelands has received 11 ventilators and The Bellevue Hospital has received three," said the North Coast Healthcare Collaborative. "Fisher-Titus, The Bellevue Hospital, Magruder Hospital, and Firelands Regional Medical Center are working together on joint purchasing of PPE as well. We, along with all hospitals in Ohio, are reporting into a central database daily of PPE and individual capacity to handle patients." The collaborative said the total need for ventilators will depend on the individual spread of COVID-19 in our communities, and how well community members embrace the importance of social distancing that DeWine and his team have recommended. Officials said all four hospitals have been in frequent communication local health departments, county commissioners, and state-level government including specific telephone conferences between the governor and hospital leaders. The collaborative said organizations like the American Hospital Association have scheduled several calls with federal level officials to provide updates on testing capabilities, changes in labor laws, and provide situational updates related to various waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "Currently, testing (for COVID-19) is available at the Ohio Department of Health lab, commercial labs like LabCorp and Quest, and larger academic medical centers," said the North Coast Healthcare Collaborative. "We are currently utilizing these tests for hospitalized patients, healthcare workers, and our symptomatic high-risk population. We aren't doing testing in any of our labs locally, but we continue to review the capability." Huron County Public Health said it also is in frequent communication with local healthcare facilities. "(We're) discussing plans regarding how hospitals may handle an increased number of COVID-19 patients. We are continuously working with Huron County Emergency Management Agency to continue to collect PPE for our healthcare workers," said Melanie Myers, public information officer. "Making sure that our hospitals are prepared with proper safety equipment is the greatest action we can take against COVID-19 at this time."