Update: August 23, 2021

—FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ONLY—

Words of Comfort and Inspiration: “Each day, I try to remember that our words can set the tone for our day. Like a ship’s rudder, they can direct our course. Words that are negative, cruel or unkind steer us to rough seas. Words that are uplifting, kind and caring steer us toward calm waters. I encourage you today to choose words that are caring and full of compassion for yourself, for your coworkers and for those we care for.”—Pastoral Care Director Keith Kincaid

State Stats (increases/decreases since Aug. 20)

649,915 COVID-19 cases (up 5,922)
11,918 COVID-19 patient deaths (up 67)
2,999 COVID-19 patients hospitalized (down 14)
470 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (down 6)
Tangipahoa Parish’s positivity rate decreased from 17.8% to 15.9%. We are moving in the right direction.

NOHS Stats (increases/decreases since Aug. 20)

NOMC:
- 85 COVID-19 patients hospitalized (down 2)
- 15 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (down 2)
- 8 COVID-19 patient deaths
NORH: 17 patients (0 COVID+); 3 possible admits
Hood: 13 hospitalized (0 COVID+); 3 COVID+ ED boarders
Tested 34,923 (up 325)
5,635 positive test results (up 84)
1,488 COVID-19 patients recovered (up 21)
Our positivity rate is 16.1% (up by .4).

Staffing & Volume

MICU 2 has 5 patients.
ER has 19 boarders as of 7:30 a.m., some of whom are COVID+.
Staffing remains extremely tight. Supplemental staffing contingency plans remain active.
ER Infusions continue on Med I with 72 infusions performed since Aug. 20.
Drive-Thru COVID Testing by appointment remains open with 65 tests performed since Aug. 20 and 17 appointments scheduled so far for today.
Non-emergent elective surgeries are suspended this week. Today’s cases include:
5 at NOMC
19 at Surgery Center
3 in Cath Lab
3 in Endoscopy.
Employee Wellness returned 5 employees back to work since Aug. 20, leaving 52 out monitoring symptoms at home (13 RNs; 0 respiratory therapists).
Clinics are stable.
Supply levels are good. We have more than enough PPE.

Infection Prevention Top 5

NO double masking.
Discard N95 mask after a single use.
NEVER put mask or other used PPE items down on work surfaces or on top of equipment.
Pay attention to hand hygiene.
Discard ear loop mask when soiled or when suspected contamination has occurred. Don a new mask as soon as possible.

For further assistance, contact Infection Prevention Manager Amanda Morse at ext. 6414 or Nurse Ashley Foster at ext. 6440.

Vaccinations

As of today, Aug. 23, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has received full FDA approval for use by individuals, ages 16 and older. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) still applies to ages 12-15 and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. This is welcome news as many in the community were waiting for full FDA approval prior to receiving the vaccine. We will be leveraging our public relations/communication channels to get the word out and ask that you help us share this positive news.
Saturday’s COVID 100 Immunization Clinic was a great success with 420 individuals returning to get their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and second $50 cash incentive.
The employee vaccination rate continues to climb! It is currently 66.3%.
Vaccinations are available at our Urgent Care Clinics from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Sunday. Self-schedule an appointment at https://covidvaccine.northoaks.org or by calling (985) 230-SHOT [7468]. Since Aug. 20, these clinics have administered 104 first doses and 223 second doses.
Make an informed choice! Reach out to Dr. Robert Peltier at ext. 7755 or peltierr@northoaks.org for evidence-based answers to your vaccine-related questions. The public can send him questions at info@northoaks.org.

Support & Encouragement for You!

It’s not too late to sign up for complimentary gentle yoga, mindful breathing and relaxation classes scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 24, in the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center at either 5:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. Space is limited to 75 employees/session. Email Jeff Jarreau to register at jarreauj@northoaks.org.
First Guaranty Bank will provide dinner from Tope La Catering for the night shift on Thursday, Aug. 26.

Public Relations/Communications

We are joining with other Northshore hospitals and Northshore Media Group to launch a community awareness campaign involving local medical experts sharing facts and busting myths related to COVID-19. Northshore Media Group consists of the following radio stations--Tangi 96.5 FM, KAJUN 107.1 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/1400 AM, The Highway 104.7 FM or The Lake 94.7 FM.
Public Service Announcements will begin running tomorrow, Aug. 24, through September. Dr. Robert Peltier will be featured in a series of spots concerning the risk of remaining unvaccinated, and Magnolia OB/GYN physicians will be featured in a series of spots about vaccines, fertility and childbirth.
An “Ask Your Local Doctor” Telephone Town Hall featuring Dr. Robert Peltier and other Northshore hospital medical experts answering callers’ questions about COVID and vaccines is scheduled to air on all Northshore Media Group radio stations Friday, Aug. 27, from 9-10 a.m.

COVID-19 will not win. Together, we’ve got this!

Your contributions are truly appreciated!