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Update: August 6, 2021

—FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ONLY—

Thought of the Day: “The deeds you do may be the only sermon some people will hear today.” – St. Francis of Assisi

State Stats
  • 567,787 COVID-19 positive cases (up 10,247 since Aug. 4)
  • 11,162 COVID-19 patient deaths (up 77 since Aug. 4)
  • 2,350 COVID-19 patients hospitalized (up 238 since Aug. 4)
  • 258 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (up 36 since Aug. 4)
  • The positivity rate for Tangipahoa Parish is 19.4% (up 2.7% since Aug. 4)
    • NOHS Stats
      • NOMC:
        • 103 COVID-19 patients hospitalized (down 6 since Aug. 4)
        • 19 COVID-19 patients on ventilators (up 4 since Aug. 4)
        • 3 COVID-19 patient deaths since Aug. 4
      • NORH: 20 patients (2 COVID-19 positive); 2-3 possible patient admissions
      • Hood: 15 hospitalized (1 COVID-19 positive); 3 COVID-19 patients in the Emergency Department awaiting acute care bed placement; 6 employees out monitoring
      • Tested 32,274 with 4 tests pending (up 304 since Aug. 4)
      • 4,846 positive test results for inpatients/outpatients combined (up 89 since Aug. 4)
      • 1,325 COVID-19 patients recovered (up 21 since Aug. 4)
      • Overall positivity rate is 15.0% (up one tenth of a percent since Aug. 4).
Staffing and Volume
  • MICU 2 has 5 patients.
  • ER has 6 boarders, 3 of whom are COVID-19 positive.
  • We are on diversion for everything but trauma and stroke.
  • Staffing remains extremely tight, and all supplemental staffing contingency plans remain active.
  • ER Infusion for COVID-19 positive patients on Medicine Unit I continues to be offered from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 36 infusions have been performed since Aug. 4.
  • Non-emergent elective surgeries at NOMC are suspended through next week. Requests for exceptions are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The Surgery Center remains open with limited capacity. Today, the Surgical Services schedule includes 4 surgeries at NOMC in the main OR, 7 at the Surgery Center, 4-5 Cath Lab cases and 0 Endoscopies.
  • Visitation guidelines that became effective July 22 remain in force. Note: Employees wishing to visit a family member while hospitalized must check-in at the front door and register. All visitation restrictions apply for the safety of the patients and staff.
  • Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing by appointment has been expanded to 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. To schedule a test, go to covidtest.northoaks.org or call Patient Scheduling at (985) 230-7777. We performed 33 drive-thru tests yesterday, and 35 are scheduled so far today.
  • The COVID-19 Screening Hotline opened yesterday at (985) 230-CV19 [2819]. The team fielded 28 calls and conducted 3 video visits on their first day. The hotline is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days/week. When the hotline is closed, the phones will roll to North Oaks Urgent Care from 5-8 p.m.
  • Employee Wellness returned 13 employees back to work since Aug. 4. This leaves 71 out monitoring symptoms at home (12 RNs; 1 respiratory therapists).
  • Clinic volume is steady with some appointment cancellations due to COVID-19.
  • North Oaks Urgent Care volume continues to ramp up overall, in part because of COVID-19 vaccinations and testing. The Hammond clinic gave 61 vaccines yesterday and has 40 scheduled today; Ponchatoula gave 31 vaccines yesterday with 20 scheduled today; and Walker started offering vaccines yesterday and gave 9 with 8 scheduled so far today. Typically, the number of vaccinations grow throughout the day
  • Supply levels are good. We have more than enough PPE.
Vaccinations
  • Our employee vaccination rate has substantially increased from 43% to 63.4%! If you have questions about vaccines, Dr. Robert Peltier encourages staff to reach out to him personally at ext. 7755 or via email at peltierr@northoaks.org for evidence-based answers to assist you in making a decision that is right for you. He is happy to respond confidentially by phone, email or in person. He also welcomes questions from the public at info@northoaks.org.
  • Employees who complete COVID-19 vaccination at any NOHS location or NOHS-sponsored vaccination clinic need not submit their vaccination cards to Employee Wellness to claim the immunization incentives announced this week. We already have that data and can take care of processing your incentive. If you received your vaccine outside of NOHS (i.e., a local pharmacy or community vaccination clinic), then please submit your vaccination card to Employee Wellness.
  • Vaccinations continue to be offered at North Oaks Urgent Care clinics in Hammond, Ponchatoula and Walker, Hours of operation for the urgent care clinics are Monday-Sunday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Self-schedule an appointment at https://covidvaccine.northoaks.org or by calling (985) 230-SHOT [7468].
Infection Prevention
  • Infection Prevention Manager Amanda Morse appreciates everyone’s ongoing attention to the cleanliness of our environment and PPE compliance. Keep up the great work! For assistance or answers to infection prevention-related questions, please contact Amanda Morse at ext. 6414 or Ashley Foster at ext. 6440.
Public Relations/Communications
  • President/CEO Michele Sutton will be interviewed on National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition” by Scott Simon tomorrow morning, Aug. 7, at around 7:20 a.m. We will share the online link to her interview with everyone after it airs.
Reminders
  • Immediate access to EIT is only for vaccinated employees with a COVID-19 positive diagnosis—not those who are out for testing.
  • PJ’s Coffee is pleased to offer free upsizes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the month of August. Beginning this Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 and 8, PJ’s will add weekend hours of 12-8 p.m. When ordering from your barista, please adhere to proper masking.
Other
  • There is no doubt that these are trying times, and you might be experiencing extended periods of stress. Crisis fatigue, the mental and physical exhaustion caused by sustained stress, has become a common response for many people, and it can take a toll on your health. If you feel that you would benefit from counseling, please speak with your supervisor or leader for more information on available resources.
  • You may have noticed two tents erected on the north side of NOMC near Sterile Processing and BioMed. We requested loan of these mobile “Western Shelters” from the state to be prepared in the event we need additional space and resources to support our COVID-19 response. The tents are set up as a contingency; we are not currently using them and have no immediate plans to use them.

Your talent, the way we all come together to get things done and everyone’s willingness to step up and help out are awe-inspiring! COVID-19 will not win. Together, we’ve got this!

—FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATION ONLY—