Supes get hospital update amid pandemic
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors received an update on OCH regional medical center as the county continues to face the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospital CEO and Administrator Jim Jackson, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Todd Smith and Incident Commander Wes Andrews addressed the board at its meeting Monday, discussing the current state of the hospital in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
Andrews said the hospital at level four of its five-level on its pandemic scale., with one patient hospitalized due to the novel coronavirus as of this week. The hospital will move to level five if three active cases are hospitalized. The third floor is currently serving as the hospitals COVID-19 unit.
“Less than 30% of these patients are going to require hospitalization,” Andrews said. “Those that get sick can range from very simple to very severe depending on if there's another condition, we know that.”
He said even as cases continue to rise locally , OCH Staff remained devoted, with an absentee rate of less than 5%.
“We passed level three in January,” Andrews said.”four, where we are today requires enhanced screening of staff and visitors, enhanced visitation policy, new (person al protective equipment) stewardship programs how we make what we've got last a long time, how we help all of our employees stat safe while they're delivering care.”
Andrews said the hospital had also enhanced its telemedicine capabilities, and said telemedicine had proven itself during the pandemic.
“This is your force extender for healthcare that will go on after COVID-19 leaves and is just a history point,” Andrews said. “Telemedicine is now here. Telemedicine is in our clinics, and telemedicine will change the face of healthcare moving forward.”
Andrews thanked members of the community who had made masks for or donated masks to OCH. He said The hospital would soon receive an additional shipment of masks.
“For the past two weeks, OCH has served as a point of distribution for PPE for other facilities,”
Andrews said. “We've watched as those facilities come and receive PPE from our loading docks, sorted it for them, staged it for them. We load it on their trucks when they come. Literally day after day, we've seen those trucks come and literally none of that is set aside for OCH until now. We now have word that we'll be receiving Mississippi Department of Health Assistance.”
Jackson spoke to the dedication of his staff.
“”Our staff has done a wonderful job.” Jackson said. “I couldn't be more proud of them and what they've done to prepare for this onslaught, so to speak, of patients. Certainly, they have fears like everyone. They certainly are up to the task to treat these patients as they begin to show up.