Hufstetler aiding with state plans
NWGRH may be part of a coordinated response to the coronavirus outbreak
Gov. Brian Kemp has set up advisory committees to prepare for an expected escalation in COVID-19 cases — and Sen. Chuck Hufstetler has a role in the coordinated effort.
The Rome Republican is an anesthetist at a local hospital. His critical care experience led to his appointment on a committee chaired by Dr. Ben Watson, a Republican senator from Savannah, along with two other senators in the medical field.
“We are the primary care committee,” Hufstetler said Wednesday, adding that Kemp has other advisory groups focused on issues such as long-term care and small business assistance.
“They are trying to segment the response, so nobody is overwhelmed. I think that’s a good strategy for Georgia,” Hufstetler said.
One focus is on setting
up a network of facilities throughout the state where COVID-19 patients can be isolated for treatment if hospitals get full.
Hufstetler said officials have been out to evaluate the closed Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital in Rome.
“If there is a surge, the state is looking at having eight surge hospitals ready,” Hufstetler said. “This is 150 acres, with secured fencing, and they’ve kept it in pretty good shape.”
Local officials have been aware of the possibility for some time now and discussed it during a meeting earlier this week.
Floyd County Commission Chair Scotty Hancock is the county’s former emergency management agency director and now works as outreach and EMS director for Redmond Regional Medical Center.
“I think the state could ramp it up pretty quick, to tell you the truth,” Hancock said about NWGRH.
The activation would be out of local control, he noted. While some residents might have concerns, the hospital was once used as a tuberculosis treatment facility — during a widespread outbreak of that contagious disease.
“There’s got to be negative pressure rooms,” Hancock said, referring to rooms that allow fresh air in but keep the contaminated air contained.
The state is putting a 20-unit quarantine facility next to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. It’s for people who have tested positive but don’t need to be hospitalized and are
not able to shelter in place.
Seven mobile units also have been placed at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Morgan County.
Hufstetler said Georgia has received a shipment of equipment from the federal government that is being distributed to hospitals according to need.
The shipment included 100,000 of the heavy-duty N95 masks that are currently in short supply. It also contained
10 pallets of medical face shields; 10,000 gloves; 25,000 gowns; 26,000 shoe covers and 1,000 goggles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has relaxed some of the rules for protective gear healthcare workers must use when treating infected patients.
“It’s a matter of prioritizing,” Hufstetler said. “We will probably see more of that.”
For now, he said, the state response is on track and there is a fund balance to draw from as needed.
“The federal government is helping and we will probably get reimbursed for a lot, but we’re not waiting on them. We’re actively trying to get ahead of this,” Hufstetler said.