By Mandy Scheuer
Oct. 27, 2020
COVID-19 is still spreading despite the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines.
Doctors, nurses and other essential healthcare workers are doing their best.
I chose to write this article because I know an employee at UW Health. He’s my dad and is the director of materials management, responsible for insuring clinicians and support staff have the medical/surgical supplies they need.
I was curious how UW Health is handling COVID-19. I have been reading about how hospitals are becoming overrun with high numbers of COVID-19 patients. However, my dad and others are doing everything they can.
I interviewed my dad regarding UW Health and COVID-19.
- What items do doctors/nurses use to help the patients who have been affected by COVID?
There are many items used by clinicians to treat COVID-19 patients. A few of the more critical items are exam gloves, masks (barrier and N95), Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR), face shields, and barrier gowns. Also important in the fight against COVID-19 are hand sanitizer, disinfecting solutions, and sample collection kits.
- Who is the first person to get word of a COVID-19 patient coming to UW Health?
Patient privacy is strictly enforced. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law protecting sensitive patient health information. Only those with a clinical need to know are aware of which patients have COVID-19.
- How long do nurses’ typical rotations last?
Many have 12 hour shifts but may work significant overtime hours if needed.
- Who determines when a patient who has COVID can finally go home?
That is up to the physician treating the patient.
- Why or why not do you think there should or shouldn’t be testing at Edgewood Campus?
Ideally, EC would be able to provide testing for all staff and students on demand. However, that is challenging logistically and expensive. Given that there are other options for testing nearby, it is understandable that EC does not have testing on campus. Please see this site for a detail of testing options: https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/testing
- If there were testing on campus, how would you make it safe so people can still follow the CDC’s guidelines?
The same way you make any gathering of people less risky – everyone in a mask, social distancing, hand hygiene.
- How important is it to get a flu shot this year?
It is important to get the flu shot every year, but especially critical this year. We now have COVID-19 in addition to the expected seasonal flu. We need to keep as many people healthy as possible, so the healthcare system has the capacity to focus on those that need care.
- How would you go about telling people how important it is to follow the CDC’s guidelines without upsetting anyone? (For example, people are saying it’s their choice whether they are wearing a mask or not.)
That education has already been done repeatedly. People have made up their minds about the CDC guidelines. Until guidelines are mandated by law, there is nothing we can do to force those not following the guidance to do so.
If you have any COVID-19 questions (non-clinical) that you think my dad can address, feel free to contact me at mscheuer@edgewood.edu or leave a message on my whiteboard in Marshall Hall, room 26. You could also contact Vice President for Student Development Heather Harbach.
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