By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport is using a plan developed for a giant offshore earthquake to guide preparation for what it expects to be a wave of coronavirus patients.
But unlike a tsunami that would inundate the central Oregon coast without warning, Samaritan Pacific administrators and staff have used the past week to prepare as much as possible for the COVID-19 outbreak — without really knowing when and how it will hit Lincoln County.
But, worried that hospitals could be overwhelmed by coronavirus cases, the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems on Thursday asked Gov. Kate Brown to issue a shelter-in-place order requiring most businesses to close and require Oregonians to hunker down in their homes. Brown said she’s not ready to do that.
Samaritan Health Services, which operates the Newport hospital and ones in Lincoln City, Corvallis, Albany and Lebanon is a member of that group.
While Lincoln County has yet to confirm its first positive coronavirus patient, Dr. Lesley Ogden, the chief executive officer of the Newport and Lincoln City hospitals, told YachatsNews this week that the two facilities are adapting its mass casualty plan for use during the current crisis.
So, Samaritan Pacific this week has:
- Stopped elective surgeries, including those scheduled weeks from now;
- Limited visitors in all but exceptional cases, set up one entrance to the hospital and established a screening process to get in;
- Shifted staff away from elective care to focus on patients who are in need of more urgent attention, walk-in cases and in the emergency room;
- Stopped all hospital education classes and volunteering.
The goal, Ogden said is to prepare staff and facilities so when the outbreak hits the Oregon coast it doesn’t overwhelm medical care providers.
Because of the slowness of getting proper test kits, testing for the coronavirus throughout the United States is a well-established issue.
The Newport hospital telling patients they have to be referred by their medical provider before they will conduct a test. It is asking physicians to pay particular attention to patients in high-risk professions, those with underlying respiratory issues, and the elderly.
“We’re not going to test for coronavirus without symptoms,” she said. “Too many people without symptoms want tests.”
Ogden said commercial testing laboratories in Oregon are ramping up their work and with that Samaritan Health Services’ hospitals will be able to do many more tests starting this week.
Hospital announces drive-through testing
Thursday evening, Samaritan Health announced it had established drive-through testing sites in Lincoln, Benton and Linn counties. Swabbing a patient while sitting in their car limits exposure to staff and the hospital facility, Ogden said.
Because of limited supplies, however, Samaritan said it would only test certain categories of people, patients who had been referred by their physician, or who had gone through an online review with a Samaritan clinician. People without a medical provider or unable to access Samaritan’s online system, are asked to call 1-855-543-2780.
In its announcement, Samaritan Pacific said patients who show up without a scheduled appointment will be turned away. The clinic was set up outside the Samaritan Health clinic, 531 U.S. Highway 101, on the north end of Depoe Bay.
“It’s gradually getting better, but we anticipate that a lot of people eventually will have to be tested,” Ogden. “We’ll see improvement from here and we’ll get to the level of testing we want. But if you ask any of the experts, we’re late to this game.”
Ogden also said tests are not as effective in helping a person who has symptoms when it takes two to three days to get results.
While Ogden stressed that Pacific Communities and its staff is there to serve the community, says it’s important generally healthy people to ask themselves “do I really need” to go to the hospital.
“If you have mild symptoms and you can care for yourself, then please do,” she said.
A possible coronavirus patient walking into the hospital triggers a whole new set of protocols designed to protect staff and other patients from being infected, she said.
On Friday, because of a nationwide shortage in supplies, Samaritan Health Services asked businesses in its three-county service area for personal protective equipment and testing supplies to help care for coronavirus patients. Such equipment includes face masks of all kinds, including but not limited to N-95 masks, disposable gowns and gloves, eye protection, swabs and viral transport tubes, and 70 percent isopropyl alcohol. Samaritan said it will accept donations of both unopened and opened packages of equipment and supplies.
Dentists are encouraged to donate, as well as any clinic that is ramping down services due to the governor’s order that all hospitals, clinics and health care providers must cease all non-emergency medical procedures. Non-health care industries that might consider donating include construction, veterinary, manufacturing, breweries and mining, for example.
Ogden said there are 500 employees in Newport and 400 in Lincoln City and the two hospitals are now sharing their pool of labor. The cancellation of public school has resulted in some child care issues, but to help with that Samaritan Health Services has decided to keep its child care facility open at the Lincoln City hospital.
The Newport hospital has four operating rooms and 25 rooms for overnight patients. The Lincoln City hospital, which just moved into a new $42 million building, has three operating rooms and 16 patient rooms.
Ogden said staff at both hospitals have determined ways to nearly triple space for patients, if needed.
And if the outbreak gets really dire, Ogden said, the hospital has the capability – part of the plan developed for an earthquake – to set up tents and yurts in its parking lot.
“That’s not out of the question,” she said. “There are just a ton of plans to put in place.”