— from Anne Presson, Public Hospital Districts Superintendent —
As the Superintendent for the Public Hospital Districts on Orcas and Lopez islands, I was asked to lead several areas within the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). One area of our COVID-19 response where there are a lot of questions is around specimen collection and testing. We’ve all encountered mixed messages and shifting terminology. It’s understandably confusing, and it might seem as though nothing is happening. The good news is there’s been a lot of focus around monitoring of supplies, as well as discussions with providers to ensure there is adequate capacity for specimen collection and testing.
On Orcas and Lopez, we are fortunate to have the expertise and partnership of UW Medicine. They have been leading many efforts within their own patient and employee population in their larger system, which are helping to inform our protocols and thinking – specifically around the drive-through specimen collection model. This approach is now being widely used by health systems in several States and is now being utilized at the UW Orcas and Lopez Clinics. All specimens collected are then being sent to the UW Lab for testing.
The UW Medicine Orcas and Lopez Clinics are dedicated to supporting our entire community and have opened up their specimen collection and testing service to ALL islanders, whether or not you are currently registered with UW. While Orcas Family Health Center (OFHC) is not doing specimen collection, they are providing an initial phone screen. If you are a patient of OFHC, please contact them first and they will determine if it’s appropriate for you to be referred to UW for a more in-depth assessment. If so, you will first be directed to the UW COVID-19 Hotline to determine next steps.
It’s important to understand not everyone who feels ill needs to be tested, particularly those with mild illness. A health care provider will determine if you should be tested, and it’s likely their advice on managing your
symptoms will be the same whether you test positive or negative.
According to the World Health Organization, the vast majority of those who get COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms and feel better within a couple of weeks. Those with underlying health issues are at greater risk for more severe symptoms, and it’s important that our medical providers have the time and resources to closely monitor those patients. If you experience symptoms of illness and you can manage your illness at home, please stay there and avoid contact with others.
To learn more, the WA DOH website provides in depth information regarding the testing for COVID-19.
The process being utilized at the UW Orcas and Lopez Clinics is designed to protect your health and that of the providers and our community members. While additional communication will be coming from UW Medicine, here are a few important things to know about the process:
- If you have flu like symptoms do not walk into the clinic. This will protect other patients and staff from exposure and spread.
- All testing is done by appointment; you will be provided with details as to where to go and what to expect when your appointment is confirmed.
- The first step in the process for UW patients and non-patients is to call the UW COVID-19 Hotline number: 855-520-2285. Your patience is appreciated as the call volume may be high. UW Medicine staff are working to be responsive to your needs and concerns.
- Please do not call the island clinics directly. You will need to go through a quick registration process to be able to be scheduled for testing, and that process is being handled by the UW COVID-19 Hotline.
Only call 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency. It’s important our EMS resources remain available for emergent medical calls and other 911 activities. Please note that EMS personnel are not currently performing COVID-19 specimen collection. All of those activities must be coordinated by your health care provider, as they will also be the ones following up to ensure you receive test results.
Something else to be aware of regarding your other health care appointments that may have been scheduled prior to COVID-19. For patient safety measures, providers will be rescheduling appointments that are more routine in nature (for example: Medicare Wellness exams). This will allow providers and staff to address the added responsibilities associated with COVID-19 specimen collection, monitoring of critically ill patients, reviewing test results, and reporting back to patients and public health officials. The community’s understanding during this extraordinary time is appreciated.
The San Juan County EOC remains ready to provide support if the situation changes. The team remains in ongoing communication with the clinics, EMS, other EOC Branches, PeaceHealth/PIMC, local leaders and numerous other local and regional health care stakeholders. Other activities underway include assembling a list of volunteer providers who are willing and able to assist with specimen collection and patient coordination, should the need arise.
We are also in the process of developing plans should the County experience a surge in COVID-19 cases.
It’s wonderful to have everyone share their expertise, ideas and time – we are very fortunate to live in this County.
The best way to stay informed is to visit www.sanjuanco.com/1668/2019-Novel-Coronavirus.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
My wife and I are so very happy with UW Medicine here on Orcas. We’re grateful every day for the excellent care – and caring – we receive from every member of the staff.
Thank-you Anne Presson and team for your leadership and dedication to our community.
Sounds great, thanks!
The first eight identified U.S. fatalities from the 2020 pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 were reported at EvergreenHealth Kirkland, beginning with the first on February 29, 2020.The cases were residents or visitors to the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a local nursing home. The hospital increased its number of beds in negative-airflow rooms from 15 to 58 as part of its response to the growing number of coronavirus patients; As of March 11, 2020, 65 people treated at the hospital have tested positive for the coronavirus and 15 have died.
EvergreenHealth Kirkland is the first US COVID Treatment Center which is owned and managed by the King County Public Hospital District No. 2.
EvergreenHealth Kirkland is a 318-bed general hospital in Kirkland, Washington EvergreenHealth is an American regional healthcare system based in the Seattle metropolitan area of Washington state. It has two general hospitals in Kirkland and Monroe, and several smaller clinics and urgent care facilities in King and Snohomish counties. A public hospital district was formed by a voter-approved ballot measure in 1967 to serve northeastern King County.
EvergreenHealth has 4,500 employees, including 1,100 physicians and 500 volunteers. It is officially the King County Public Hospital District No. 2 and managed by an elected board of 7 commissioners from within the hospital district. In 2018, EvergreenHealth had total revenue of $1.9 billion, primarily from Medicare and private insurers, and total expenses of $702.8 million.
If the King County Public Hospital District No. 2 can own, run and operate a profitable large hospital with multiple clinics as stated above, what is the reason for why OIHCD can not own and operate a small clinic of 5000 population?
WA Dept. of Health:
❝❞Public health experts agree that the true number of people who have been infected with COVID-19 in Washington greatly exceeds the number of COVID-19 infections that have been laboratory-confirmed.
❉ It is very difficult to know exactly how many people in Washington have been infected to date since most people with COVID-19 experience mild illness ..AND, AND
❉❉ and the ability to get tested is still not widely available.
[important point??..!]
[doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus]
CDC:
total US cases = 1,629
total WA state cases = 642 (~40%)
..total US deaths = 41
..total WA state deaths = 40 (em, 97.560 975 609 7560..%)
WA state demographics: COVID-19 most susceptible ≅ 25%
SanJuanCo demographics: COVID-19 most susceptible ≅ 50%
San Juan County has 17,000 people living here.
We have tested approximately 40 of them. (0.2%)
[*we’re talking round numbers here to make an obvious point]
Our PHD and local authorities: ❝❞
❉ IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND NOT EVERYONE WHO FEELS ILL NEEDS TO BE TESTED, particularly those with mild illness.
❉ A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER WILL DETERMINE IF YOU SHOULD BE TESTED,
❉ ADVICE ON MANAGING YOUR SYMPTOMS WILL BE THE SAME WHETHER YOU TEST POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
❝❞According to the World Health Organization, the vast majority of those who get COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms and feel better within a couple of weeks. Those with underlying health issues are at greater risk for more severe symptoms..
❝❞This approach is now being widely used by health systems in several States [so what?] and is now being utilized at the UW Orcas and Lopez Clinics.. [why, again?]
OK.
Not to put too fine a point on it,
❝TEST EVERYONE, TEST THEM NOW❞
Respectfully, appropriately- through education and by invitation.
The point is not ONLY to find out who is infected, case by case, and treat them..
❉ It is to STRATEGICALLY MANAGE our Public Health in a manner *appropriate** to our population and situation. A brief glimpse at Orcas’ history shows that the problem has not ONLY been finding affordable healthcare locally (eg. testing), but ..
❉ creating a unique healthcare system that addresses OUR NEEDS (ie. looking at OUR population on Orcas, defining OUR deficits, developing a specific strategy that respects OUR goals, taking action using OUR local resources.. data data data).
Our risks are higher: our resources are smaller, more distant, our population is highly vulnerable -especially in this case. We require -in this case- not just the “normal” standard of care, but the BEST *appropriate* standard of care. Like needing to focus on unscheduled *Access* to care, or *Continuity* from our providers, or [real] competence in our officials…
“strategic management” not not mint flavored institutional mouthwash. Again.
This. Is. A. Test.