Delco hospitals begin to buck under stress of outbreak
As one local hospital is furloughing employees to deal with the financial stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, other elected and health care officials are frustrated by the scenario unfolding in the hospitals of this First World country.
Trinity Health officials announced it would be reducing its staff to cope with economic challenges. Reports say up to 2,500 jobs nationwide in the system would be effected by a reduction of hours or redeployment to different positions in other locations. The Michigan-based company owns Mercy Fitzgerald and Mercy Philadelphia hospitals.
“These unfortunate but necessary actions will primarily impact non-clinical colleagues,” Ann D’Antonio, vice president, marketing and communications for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, said. “Importantly, impacted colleagues will continue to retain several benefits such as health, dental and basic life insurance throughout this temporary situation, and we hope to bring back as many furloughed colleagues as we can, when possible.”
She explained that which colleagues would be affected is still being determined, although the compensation of executive leaders has been reduced, capital expenditures, with the exception of ministryrelated expenses associated with the crisis, has been frozen and discretionary spending has been reduced.
“While we are deeply appreciate of and value the work of all our colleagues, these steps will enable us to focus our resources on the functions directly related to combating COVID-19 and addressing our patients’ needs,” D’Antonio said. “These are decisions we are not making lightly, though they align with similar efforts being carried out throughout Trinity Health across the country.”
She expressed gratitude for Trinity Health’s employees.
“During this time, we are being called to support our mission in new and challenging ways,” D’Antonio said. “We appreciate the compassion, courage and excellence of our colleagues in this, our communities’ hour of need.”
Health care personnel in other parts of the region also shared the difficulties they’re having.
“The number one issue is our (Personal Protective Equipment) and testing and quarantine,” Maureen May, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals and registered nurse at Temple University Hospital, said.
She said nurses taking care of COVID-19 patients don’t have the N95 masks, although their executives and administrators are telling them they have the protective gear necessary to perform their functions.
“We don’t,” May said. “We don’t have what we need. If we cannot protect ourselves, we are spreaders.”
And, she warned, “This is just a beginning. We are nowhere near the peak ... We’re doing everything we can at the local level but we’re not supplied with the needs that will not be met in the future as we continue on this peak.”
So far, officials at the Crozer-Keystone Health System is ok.
“We currently have sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment on hand to care for patients and keep our staff safe, and continue to plan for anticipated protective equipment needs,” Rich Leonowitz, system spokesman, said. “As you know, this remains a challenge for all healthcare providers as COVID-19 surges occur across the country. We appreciate the contributions of supplies and food, and messages of thanks that we have received from the Delaware County community.”
He also credited the committed workforce as they provide critical care.
“During this unprecedented health crisis, our dedicated caregivers continue to work together to provide quality, compassionate care to our community,” Leonowitz said. “Our emergency departments, drive-through testing sites and inpatient units remain dedicated to COVID-19 patients, and our team is flexing resources to support each other.”
Dr. Jafar Hussain of Montgomery County, a doctor at Temple University Hospital, said Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was testing out jerry rigging ventilators to maximize equipment.
“This is just how desperate physicians are getting,” he said. “We have no idea just how bad this peak is going to be in a few weeks.”
He said administrators are removing masks personnel have brought in on their own, other medical staff are isolating themselves from their families out of fear of infecting them, others are being asked to practice outside the areas of their expertise while others are talking about quitting.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture announced Thursday that it was suspending its requirement that shelters and rescues spay or neuter dogs and cats prior to adoption to conserve personal protective equipment for human health care workers.
“This waiver is not something we take lightly, but it’s a matter of weighing the costs,” state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Waiving the requirement to spay or neuter prior to adoption allows us to conserve critical PPE supplies and also limit the risk of exposure for veterinarians.”
This waiver does come with a contingency that shelters must keep a list of adopters and that once the pandemic is past, they’ll follow up on all pets adopted during this time. Adoptive pet owners have up to 120 days from the time of adoption to have the procedure completed, although that time span will be re-evaluated as needed.
“The infuriating thing, the infuriating ting is it doesn’t need to be this bad,” Michelle Boyle, a registered nurse from Pittsburgh, said, adding that the situation would’ve been different had the response began two months, even a month ago.
She said even as a health care worker she can’t get tested.
“If we could at least get tested, do you know how much better we would be?” Boyle said, adding that those identified as positive could then be isolated. “We could plan.”
The nurse said it’s the first time in her 26-year career that she’s made sure that her will is in order and that she’s written letters to her family.
Tarik Khan, a family nurse practitioner in Philadelphia, agreed.
“The Trump adminstration response to this pandemic has been a catastrophe,” he said. “The federal government was not prepared for this crisis and did not take it seriously ... President Trump said, ‘This is a war.’ If this is a war ... the government response has left us without bullets ... and the enemy is invisible to us.”
Khan said those on the front lines are there because they want to do this.
“We are proud to serve our nation in this crisis but we need equipment to fight it,” he said.
He said he had deployed to Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake. “I was never as fearful then as I am now,” Khan said. “We signed up to be put at risk, our families did not.”