Valley Health Announces Crisis Countermeasures for COVID-19 Cases Exploding in Our Region

Valley Health is treating an increasing number of COVID-19 patients, and the resources of the medical system are now significantly expanded.

“Our caregivers have worked in two shifts, night, weekend and holiday, to save patients and fight COVID-19 in our community. They showed amazing resilience. But like all of us, they’re tired. Marknanz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Valley Health, said:
Six Valley Health hospitals currently treat 140 patients with COVID-19, about 85% of whom are unvaccinated. According to Chief Physician Executive Iyad Sabbagh, MD, the most severely ill patients are unvaccinated, emphasizing the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.

“Data and scientific evidence overwhelmingly demonstrate the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination,” said Dr. Sabbagh. “I urge residents to be vaccinated, continue to follow masking recommendations, and consider taking social distance measures, such as canceling events where the virus can easily spread. The Delta variant we are facing is more contagious than previous versions of this virus and is spreading rapidly in the community. “

According to Dr. Sabbagh, the number of inpatients per day, their level of acuity, and vaccination status change rapidly, and an accurate snapshot of the number of community members being treated system-wide at any given time. Is difficult to provide.

“Within a few hours, our numbers can change dramatically, and it’s difficult to share that data with the community as more and more patients are dishonest about their vaccination status.” Dr. Sabbagh said. He said he was afraid that patients would not be cared for if they shared with staff that they were not vaccinated.
“Our job is to take care of all the individuals who come to us,” Sabbagh insisted. “While we want the public to know that vaccination is the best way to stop the spread of COVID, we may be here to take care of them, regardless of vaccination status. I want you to know. It is our mission as a healthcare provider. “

Valley Health previously reported that 97% of caregivers are vaccinated or have medical or religious exemptions. In addition, the healthcare system has been very successful in hiring new staff to fill vacancies left by employees who choose not to comply with vaccination requirements. The number of new hires at Valley Health is increasing, and the overall staff has increased since the policy was announced in July. However, even if increased, nurses and caregivers have spent extra shifts and long hours caring for COVID-19 patients. This patient has a more severe and complex illness and stays in the hospital longer than the average patient.

“Our challenge is not staffing due to the requirements of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our challenge is the very large number of severe COVID-19 patients who come to our hospital for treatment. That’s it, “Nantz commented.

Valley Health’s response to patient proliferation involves providing additional resources and implementing measures to care for patients and protect staff.

Added additional ICU capacity

As all ICU beds available last Friday were full, WMC opened an additional unit to accommodate the number of critically ill patients in need of care. As of Sunday, there were 23 COVID-positive patients in the emergency department, bed availability was limited, and all ICUs in the area took more than 24 hours to accept transfers.

Reduction of hospital visits

Patient visits at six Valley Health hospitals have been reduced to reduce the risk of infection among visitors, patients and caregivers. In the past few weeks, Valley Health has seen an increase in destructive visitor behavior, including refusal to comply with masking requirements during visits. Exceptions to visits are the Winchester Medical Center for Labor and Delivery, Mother / Baby, Pediatrics and NICU, and on a case-by-case basis at all facilities for special situations, including end-of-life care.visit www.valleyhealthlink.com/visitation For updates and more details.

Selective and non-essential surgery that requires postponement of postoperative hospital beds

This week, the Winchester Medical Center and Warren Memorial Hospital will begin a selective, non-essential procedure and postponement of surgery that requires hospitalization overnight after surgery. Outpatient surgery and procedures that do not require a postoperative bed continue uninterrupted. At the doctor’s discretion, this does not affect the procedures or surgery of patients in an emergency or urgent situation. This decision was made after careful consideration and is consistent with the guidance provided by government, clinical, and regulatory agencies.

“Our top priority is to protect our care team and all the people we care for,” said Dr. Sabbagh. He thanked the caregivers of Valley Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was very impressed with the commitment, wittyness and resilience of our team,” he said.

“We are still together,” Nantz recalled. “We can help our colleagues, patients, family and friends respond safely, reasonably and thoughtfully to produce the best possible results. We listen to each other. Tilt, thoughtful, kind, and understand that we are dealing with this crisis together rather than separately. “

visit Valleyhealthlink.com/coronavirus Up-to-date information on Valley Health visit policies and other service coordination.