Becker's Hospital Review

38 CMO / CARE DELIVERY HCA Healthcare physician dies of COVID-19 after wearing same mask for weeks By Maia Anderson A n HCA Healthcare physician has died of COVID-19 aer reusing her N95 mask for weeks, if not months, e Guardian reported. Adeline Fagan, MD, was a resident OB-GYN at HCA Houston Healthcare West who tested positive for COVID-19 in early July. In July, Dr. Fagan was working in the emer- gency department treating COVID-19 pa- tients and, due to supply shortages, wore the same mask for "weeks and weeks, if not months and months," her younger sister said. CDC recommendations state an N95 mask should be reused five times at most. On Sept. 19, at age 28, Dr. Fagan became one of over 250 medical staff who died in Southern and Western hot spot states during a COVID-19 surge over the summer. One in 3 healthcare workers who have died of the virus nationwide had reported concerns of inadequate PPE, according to e Guardian. A national nurses union has complained of HCA Healthcare's alleged "willful violation" of workplace safety protocols, including pushing infected staff to continue working. HCA Healthcare told e Guardian it wouldn't comment on the allegation that inadequate PPE supply contributed to Dr. Fagan's death. "Our protocol, based on CDC guidance, in- cludes colleagues turning in their N95 masks at the conclusion of each shi, and receiving another mask at the beginning of their next shi," a spokesperson said. n RWJBarnabas to screen all patients for social determinants of health By Mackenzie Bean W est Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health has launched a universal so- cial determinants of health program to regularly screen patients for factors that may contribute to chronic disease. The health system is piloting the Health Beyond the Hospital program at several of its locations, it said Oct. 13. The initiative entails screening patients for such social determinants of health as food security, housing access and transpor- tation in the same way healthcare providers regularly screen for temperature, weight or blood pressure. After a screening, clinicians can create tailored resources for the patient and "e-prescribe" ser- vices or support programs such as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. RWJBarnabas Health is using NowPow, a person- alized digital community referral platform, and ConsejoSano, a patient engagement platform that specializes in linguistically and culturally tai- lored outreach, to support the new program. The health system said it is planning a phased adoption of the program across its entire sys- tem, and the program will be fully integrated into its EHR. n Some Vermont hospitals cutting travel nurses amid rising financial pressures By Gabrielle Masson S everal Vermont hospitals are cutting travel nurses and aiming to replace them with full-time employees as the pandemic in- creases financial pressure and exacerbates workforce shortag- es, reported the VTDigger. Brattleboro (Vt.) Memorial Hospital has been cutting the expensive con- tract nurses and instead turning to former employees and local help. "The nursing shortage is huge, so you have to put in this effort," said Jodi Stack, RN, the hospital's chief nursing officer. In the spring of 2018, about 10 percent of the hospital's nurses were travel nurses. This year, the hospital said goodbye to the last travel- ing nurse, Ms. Stack said. Other state health officials are partnering with nursing schools, in- creasing wages and providing education reimbursements to bring nurses to Vermont and keep them in the state. A state bill recently passed created $1.6 million in scholarships for nursing and other medical students, while also making it easier for out-of-state nurses to receive licensure in Vermont. The pandemic has increased both price and demand for traveling nurses. Hospitals in hot spots have boosted recruitment, and pay for traveling nurses has risen as much as six times the typical traveler nurse salary. A traveling nurse's salary is only part of what a hospital spends, ac- cording to Ms. Stack. Hospitals also must cover the costs of training, onboarding and turnover, she said. "It's a strain on our resources," Ms. Stack said. n

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