We are blessed to have our own Sharp Hospital here in Coronado. Health care professionals are on the front line of this COVID-19 crisis and we reached out to find out how things are going and how we can come together to help these dedicated heroes. Tents were erected outside the Emergency Department to conduct screenings before patients enter the facility. So far, the number of cases in Coronado is listed at four, with 1,112 confirmed cases in San Diego County, but we know that this number is subject to change based on many factors, including testing availability and result times. Senior Vice President and CEO of Sharp Coronado Hospital Susan Stone, BSN, PhD, answered the following questions:
How many COVID-19 tests have you done and where can people find the most up-to-date information?
As of April 1, 2020, Sharp HealthCare, in total, had collected 1837 specimens. The San Diego County Public Health Department website contains the most accurate San Diego County publicly available information https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/coronavirus/
What measures are being taken to ensure the health of your employees?
To ensure we are doing everything possible to ensure everyone’s health and well-being, we have implemented pre-shift employee health screenings. Employees are asked about the presence of any signs and symptoms of illness while also having temperatures taken. Those who are experiencing signs or symptoms of illness or who have a fever are asked to go home and report back to work when illness has passed, this is consistent with our employee illness policy and is one more way we are ensuring the health and well-being of everyone on site. In addition, the Employee Assistance Program is offering online Zoom meetings which allow team members access to those who specialize in supporting care teams during times of increased stress. Hospital leadership has routine rounding in all areas of the hospital on all day on all shifts talking with staff ensure we address all questions and concerns.
Are there any needs Sharp Coronado has that residents can help with?
Sharp Coronado Hospital, along with other Sharp HealthCare facilities, are in need of additional PPE (personal protective equipment). This includes masks such as simple/surgical types masks and N95 masks, protective gowns and gloves. At this time, we are not in need of homemade masks or food. We are currently accepting donations and the community can either drop of these supplies in the donation bin in front of the hospital at 250 Prospect Place in Coronado or they can make a donation for the purchase of these supplies at the following online website https://give.sharp.com/coronado-foundation/give-now
Should Coronado residents go to Sharp Coronado if they suspect they have COVID-19?
Coronado residents experiencing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 should feel very comfortable seeking care at Sharp Coronado Hospital. We have been preparing our hospital over the past two months for this situation. That being said, if you believe you are experiencing COVID-19 like symptoms, such as a fever, cough, or shortness of breath, you should call your primary care physician first before coming to our emergency room. We have a Respiratory Illness Tent that opened for service on March 5, staffed by Registered Nurses, in front of the Emergency Department who are assessing patients, gathering and processing the necessary specimens and working with the physicians in determining whether admission or discharge is necessary. Sharp HealthCare Laboratory is processing COVID-19 specimens for all inpatients and we have partnerships with commercial laboratories for processing of outpatient COVID-19 tests.
How many beds/ventilators are at Sharp Coronado?
Sharp Coronado Hospital has prepared a surge capacity plan that allows us to accommodate up to 20 ICU patients. This includes the seven current ICU beds and additional beds converted to ICU capability elsewhere in the hospital. In addition, we have a surge capacity plan that allows us to accommodate up to 50 Medical Surgical patients. This includes the current 28 beds on the Medical Surgical floor and additional beds converted to Medical Surgical capability elsewhere in the hospital. The hospital has a total of 28 ventilators on site. Sharp HealthCare has requested an additional 200 ventilators from the County/State/Federal stockpile, and we await response to this request.
Sharp has implemented new visitation restrictions for all of their hospitals to protect those who are most vulnerable in accordance with the County Health Department order.
- No visitors are allowed to visit a patient at any Sharp hospital or skilled nursing, subacute or transitional care facility, except in an end-of-life situation or if the patient is a minor.
- Only one adult (18 and older) support person is allowed for maternity patients at Sharp hospitals.
- No children are allowed inside the lobbies of Sharp hospital Emergency Departments and Sharp Mary Birch.
- Anyone visiting under these restrictions must be free of any symptoms of respiratory illness.
- Allowed visitors will be screened for health and travel history prior to seeing a patient.
Any other information you want the community to know?
Please help the health care team members by complying with the ‘Stay Home to Stay Safe’ order of the Governor. It is only through exposure prevention that we will flatten the curve and prevent COVID-19 from having a serious and devastating impact on our community.
The Sharp COVID-19 information page, where you can take a self-assessment and get additional information can be found at https://www.sharp.com/coronavirus/index.cfm. You can call Sharp at 1-800-SHARP (1-800-827-4277) to answer questions about COVID-19. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 5 pm.
