Chief Medical Officer at St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Dr. Kyle Ulveling, says the visitation limitations and the implementation of telehealth services at the clinics has had the desired result; a decrease in the amount of traffic at the hospital, clinics and nursing homes.
The expected peak for Iowa has been moved to May 1, and Ulveling says that although we have been practicing distancing and preventative measures for more than two weeks now, it is more important than ever as we face that surge.
Ulveling, however, wants to make sure that this point hits home as a key factor for the coming weeks.
Carroll County Public Health is receiving reports from local healthcare providers on the numbers of tests being run throughout the county. Ulveling says they are doing about one to five per day at the hospital and have been for the past week or two. Right now, there are a stable amount of testing supplies available, even if the number doubles on a daily basis. But there is a concern rising statewide on the available amount of nasal swabs used for testing.
The criteria for testing from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has not changed for the last week plus, according to Ulveling. Senior citizens, hospital patients and healthcare workers with a new respiratory illness—fever, deep cough, shortness of breath—will get tested. Then the checklist goes to the other criteria, including travel. Again, anyone feeling they are exhibiting symptoms needs to pick up the phone first.
Ulveling also says as we near the peak, the healthcare community is preparing as best they can. They are working to gather equipment that can be used as ventilators to add to their current supply and preserving personal protective equipment (PPE) as much as possible. They are also urging everyone to remain vigilant in their distancing and sanitizing efforts in the coming weeks. A link to the entire interview with Dr. Ulveling can be found below. A link detailing visitor limitations and telehealth contact points can be found there as well.
Full interview with Dr. Kyle Ulveling 04-06-20:
https://www.1380kcim.com/episode/kcim-interview-dr-kyle-ulveling-chief-medical-officer-st-anthony-hospital/
Coronavirus Notices-includes visitation and telehealth details: https://www.1380kcim.com/coronavirus/
