As intimated by Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center (TLRMC) CEO Wayne Meriwether last week at a COVID-19 update by city and county leadership, TLRMC will send its critically ill coronarvirus patients to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital for care.
Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center has been planning for weeks in areas such as logistics, supplies, safety, resource planning, and surge capacity to prepare TLRMC employees for an influx of COVID-19 patients.
The initial phase of the surge plan included postponing non-essential surgeries and procedures, limiting visitors and access to the facility, and setting up a drive-through testing site for those patients with a physician’s order. These actions have freed up capacity at the hospital to better prepare for COVID-19 patients.
TLRMC has been conducting a great deal of research and has been reaching out to suppliers to obtain additional PPE for our employees who may be taking care of COVID-19 patients. We have also been monitoring our medication supply to ensure we have the proper medications to treat all of our patients.
Alternate care sites have been designated so we can have as many operational beds as possible. Our medical staff has been meeting regularly to establish care plans to best manage COVID-19 patients.
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital (OHRH) is going to be serving as a regional critical care hospital to several rural hospitals including TLRMC. We will be transferring our critically ill respiratory patients or COVID-19 patients to their facility.
OHRH can be set up as a 600 bed facility to handle these critically ill patients. They also have approximately 100 ventilators and 72 negative pressure rooms which are necessary to treat COVID-19 patients. Once OHRH begins receiving our patients, we may receive some of their less critical patients that do not have respiratory symptoms.
“Managing infectious disease is part of everyday business for a hospital. COVID-19 may present us with a volume of patients that we don’t normally see. We are working with the Kentucky Department of Public Health and Owensboro Health to best coordinate our resources in order to offer the best possible care for the citizens of Grayson County and surrounding area” Meriwether said.
COVID-19 has become a world challenge. Everyone can play a role in preventing exposure. Social Distancing (avoid crowds and those who are ill, stay home if you are ill) and Social Etiquette (wash hands, wipe common surfaces, cough/sneeze in your sleeve) are important ways we can all help.
Additional information can be obtained from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center
