Numbers Tell the Story

Thank you to all who attended our first Virtual Community Town Hall on May 28.

I describe it as our first town hall because this forum proved to be an extremely effective way to reach our communities in a safe and convenient way. If you are reading this message, you get a newspaper at your home. Other community members may receive our weekly email updates and my video messages. The virtual town hall wasn’t perfect since while I was on camera, I couldn’t see those who tuned in. But we were able to answer individual’s questions. What amazing technology these web-based video conferencing tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams provide!

It was gratifying to my two panelists, Dr. James Bonner and Dr. Matthew Warner, the heads of our Emergency Departments, and me, to know that we were able to provide accurate information and answer questions that are probably on everyone’s minds such as, “How has Inspira changed its cleaning regimen?” and “How long will it take for my surgeon to schedule my elective procedure?”

Numbers tell the story.

My career in health care spans four decades. Prior to becoming the president and CEO of Inspira Health, my work focused on finance so I’m still the guy who looks to numbers to tell a story.

Numbers give us a picture of our quality and financial performance. Numbers tell us how many patients use Inspira services and help us to identify how we need to grow. Now, seven days a week, I pursue numbers to tell me the overall health status of our community during this pandemic, how many nurses we need to care for our patients and how much Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) we have successfully purchased.

Here is an important number that I want to share with you: As of May 29, Inspira Health has had ZERO health care-acquired COVID-19 cases.

The National Health Safety Network (NHSN) is a surveillance system managed by a division of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Inspira, like all hospitals, track numbers and report to the NHSN on a daily basis. This statistic is one of the numbers that we are mandated to track and report.

Our elective procedures and surgeries have resumed.

On May 26, we resumed elective procedures and surgeries at our Inspira hospitals. Remember, I can assure you that we provide a safe environment. How?

• Pre-admission testing now includes COVID-19 testing.
• Elective patients are asked to self-quarantine inside their homes for three days prior to the procedure.
• On the day of your procedure, the patient and companion are screened for temperature and a brief health status at the entrance.
• If the patient and their companion are not wearing a mask, one will be given to them.
• Social distancing reminders are posted throughout the hospitals—on the floors and on the chairs.
• Plexiglass screens have been added to our registration areas.
• All patient care areas are deep-cleaned multiple times a day.
• All of the staff will be wearing appropriate PPE.
• All contacts with our staff will be kept to a minimum.
• If the elective patient needs to stay overnight, the admission is to a unit where there are no COVID-19 patients. Patients are cared for by a distinct team who specializes in the recovery process of the patient’s procedure.

Do you still have questions?

We continue to staff our COVID-19 Community Hotline, 1-800-772-2848, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If the Inspira employee who answers the phone doesn’t have the answer to your question, they will find out the answer and call you back. You can also email us at COVID@ihn.org