Last week, RCFC member and CEO of UC Health in Northern Colorado, Kevin Unger, delivered a timely review of the local community and hospital response to the COVID 19 pandemic. In his introduction of our speaker, President Rob Marschke noted how Kevin and the hospital system under his leadership continue to receive recognition through many prestigious national awards.Kevin started with a video illustrating several aspects of the local response. UCH has been on “incident command” status throughout, providing virtual triage to patient flow, tracking daily statistics, and calculating needs in real time, as well as preparing for a potential surge in cases. Thanks to Kevin’s leadership, the dedication of the hospital staff, support from CSU and the community, the “curve was flattened” and the system never looked like what occurred in places like Italy and NYC. The best message from the video (recorded 3-4 weeks ago) was that it was “out of date” because the local COVID situation has steadily improved since it was recorded. One important reason for this is that the PVH system has been planning for a pandemic for the last 20 years.
After the video, Kevin described the current status - a daily decline in hospital patients with only 9 COVID patients in the 3 northern Colorado hospitals. The Greeley hospital has been the busiest and we are all aware of the problems in Weld County. Hospital length of stay for COVID patients has averaged 2 weeks but some have been inpatients for as long as 40-50 days. Case severity has been much higher (cf seasonal flu). Today, there is no concern for ventilator shortages; N95 masks must still be rationed and surgical gowns are in short supply, but there has never been any risk to the staff (or patients) as have seen in other locales.
The Emergency Department experience has been interesting (seen throughout the country ) - overall visits are down (40%) but patients are sicker. The ED is open for business and it is safe place. Current hospital policy now allows for one visitor per patient. Elective surgeries have restarted. The virtual visit has dramatically expanded (access via My Health Connection) - from 110/week pre COVID to 3800/day.
Availability of virus testing has been cobbled in the past by shortages of reagents and swabs. However, testing is now available to all symptomatic persons without a doctor’s order. The positivity rate for the 35,000 tests performed in Colorado is 9.7%. We are locally capable of 1200 tests per day. Tests (including Corona virus antibody) are available as a “drive up” at the Harmony emergency and laboratory site on Harmony Road.
Once again, we are thankful for our local hospital leadership, our dedicated health care workers and the general community support and compliance in these difficult times.
A robust Q & A session followed and Rob Marschke commented that Kevin had the most questions ever for a RCFC speaker.