Most COVID patients at Inova have recovered
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| Inova staff have enough PPE to serve COVID patients. [Inova] |
Inova Health System has treated more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients in the last two months, and nearly 700 of them have been discharged, reports Inova president and CEO Dr. J. Stephen Jones.
Many more people recovered from COVID at home without needing hospital care.
Jones urges people who need emergency care not to avoid going to the hospital because they fear contracting COVID. He says people are waiting longer to call for an ambulance when experiencing symptoms of stroke, and that is also happening with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
It’s still safe to come to an Inova hospital, he says. Safety measures have been put in place, including temperature checks for everyone, and visitors are still banned (expect for childbirth and end-of-life situations).
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has lifted the ban on elective surgery. The moratorium gave Inova time to store up PPE, prepare for new workloads, and make sure hospitals had room for COVID patients.
Now Inova has hundreds of empty beds available for surgical and non-surgical care for COVID and non-COVID needs, Jones says.
Related story: First responders salute healthcare workers treating COVID patients at Fairfax Hospital
Meanwhile, Inova has shifted to telemedicine and virtual visits to serve patients’ everyday needs. That was one of Jones’ priorities for the next three to five years, and the pandemic just shortened that timeline.
Ninety percent of Inova visits are now done by telemedicine, he says. In April, Inova conducted nearly 30,000 video visits and more than 7,000 phone visits.
Jones says he appreciates the support from the community, including the Siren Salute to Healthcare Heroes by law enforcement and first responders.
“We’ve had to make tough decisions and work hard to ensure we will always be there for our community. But we will emerge,” Jones says. “There is no question, this is still scary. But with each interaction, each day, each week, we all gain familiarity with ‘the new normal.’”