Dear Natividad Family,
Happy Friday! I hope you get a weekend. Many don't, but I still hope your Friday is the best it can be.
Alternate Care Site
Even while Monterey County residents are working to flatten the curve and reduce the impact of coronavirus on our community, it may not be enough to avoid the need for additional space to care for those sickened. I've been working with a new branch of the Monterey County EOC (Emergency Operations Center) to get a vast 55,000-square-foot Alternate Care Site (ACS) established at Marina Municipal Airport. We are working in coordination with the three other hospitals in Monterey County and Joby Aviation https://www.jobyaviation.com (you have to check these guys out - truly amazing). I'm very excited about our progress made this week in our COVID-19 preparedness. This site would add beds if and when we have a surge (currently modeled to peak the beginning of June). We will be looking to the community to help volunteer and staff the ACS, which will serve as an overflow site for patients who require hospitalization but don't require critical care or a ventilator. (More details on volunteering next week, but start to get the word out that there is a need.)
We're also learning a lot from other communities. I went down to San Luis Obispo on Wednesday to see their Alternate Care Site at CalPoly that can surge to 900 beds. I have to say; they are doing bold and impressive things down there. Look for more updates soon.
Podcasts
Medical Librarian Cynthia Johnson has created a Natividad Ground Rounds Podcast Series, including information on COVID-19 and access to the Natividad video updates. You can listen to our CME podcasts ANYWHERE by desktop or mobile. These are very high quality, tailored presentations that are not to be missed. To request an invitation to Natividad's Grand Round Podcasts, email cme@natividad.com.
New Medical Tent
Thanks to Natividad Foundation's TALC 2020 and Community Foundation for Monterey County COVID-19 Relief Fund, we have a new medical tent up as of today! According to Jeff Cleek, it's the same system that we currently have. Right now, we have a GK20 and a GK1935 in place. We purchased another GK1935 and will be setting it up as a non-COVID Emergency Room not attached to the existing tent. Chelsi Mettler says that the medical tent is the third phase of the Emergency Department surge preparation. If we no longer have enough rooms for the unstable COVID patients, we may move our non-COVID patients to this new tent. Thanks to the Engineering, ED, Foundation teams, and everyone else who made this happen so quickly.
Ventilator Training
Attached please find a letter of thanks to Cardiopulmonary Technician Rod Ramirez for his helpfulness in facilitating CSUMB's Master of Science Physician Assistant Program students' ventilator training. This training is invaluable and the PA students will be able to assist Natividad and other hospitals when and if the need arises. Great job, Rod! Making us proud.
Video Updates
I hope you've been enjoying the new Natividad video updates, available on SharePoint. I know you haven't all seen them yet, though I noticed Joe Ybarra's video about the Isolation Unit with 145 views just surpassed Dr. Gray's update with 143 views. Remember, you can access these videos from home with just a Natividad email and password. Look for new updates next week from Gel in the lab and Jose in EVS. Dr. Gray is also answering several questions in his video on Tuesday. Send your questions to ask@natividad.com and Dr. Gray will answer some via his future videos.
Enjoy the weekend if you have one. Rest up. Hug those loved ones, and let's get back at it on Monday, if not before.
Best,
Craig Walls, CMO