Question 1

With 400-1000 people out at any given time due to COVID exposure or infection, how do we have a stable healthy workforce? How can we reduce the number of staff experiencing COVID related issues?

Answer

We need to do everything we can to protect our staff and the tools we have are well known – adopt and follow public health measures (at work and at home) and get vaccinated. If each of us is accountable and follows these steps, we will dramatically reduce the rate of transmission of COVID in our communities. This in turn helps prevent illness, stabilize our workforce and keeps our communities safe.

Question 2

How do we decrease the excess demand due to COVID in the population and our communities?

Answer

We continue to care for large numbers of COVID patients in our hospitals, a majority of whom are unvaccinated individuals. This has created a situation where our hospitals are full – there are simply no empty beds and/or staff to provide care. As we continue to demonstrate leadership and educate the public, this will increase the adherence and adoption of public health measures and vaccination. This significantly reduces their risk of serious illness or the need for hospitalization in the event they experience a COVID infection. Vaccinated individuals also help minimize the transmission of the virus which is prevalent in our communities.

Beds and resources occupied by COVID patients are beds/resources that are not available for other medical/surgical care – which has the potential to impact care for these folks. And the COVID demand is significantly preventable by vaccination. In other words, not only are patients with COVID impacted, there is a ripple effect to other parts of healthcare.

Many other companies/government agencies are joining this broad-based effort around education and vaccination. The public support for vaccination has been gratifying as they recognize the threat of Covid to themselves, their family and their communities. We all share the same objective – ending the pandemic and getting back to “normal.”

All together we are making a difference in the health and safety of our communities, and thus decreasing demand.

Question 3

How do we demonstrate our commitment to our folks who have been with us, and are unified in our purpose?

Answer

The vast majority of our folks are vaccinated (over 75% and increasing weekly). We deeply appreciate not only their commitment to helping us fight this “COVID war”, but also the remarkable leadership and hard work over the past 19 months. We have recently outlined retention strategies, recruitment initiatives and compensation changes that recognize this remarkable effort. Our commitment to the work outlined in #1 and #2 are important as well.

Question 4

How do we address staffing shortages?

Answer

There have been teams of folks who have been engaged in managing this COVID pandemic over the past 19 months as we have had to react to and manage many unknowns. Our Incident Command structure has been remarkably effective in providing leadership during this time, and indeed will do so into the future. Our shared commitment to our purpose, our communities and each other during this pandemic is inspiring. The detail on all the work being done would be pages long, but I will bullet point the key initiatives:

• Recruit aggressively 
• Employ interim strategies involving locums/travelers
• Selectively manage services as needed
• Encourage flexibility and creativity in our staff
• Employ compensation strategies that help mitigate shortages
• Manage the pandemic as quickly as possible through vaccination and public health measures
• Express deep appreciation, always

Question 5

A major issue in our country when it comes to caring for patients is excess/extraordinary demand of COVID on our systems. Several states (including Minnesota) and countries are at the breaking point.  How do back away from the “cliff”?

Answer

Vaccination and public health measures are the only way forward. Without vaccination, we are accepting that tens of millions of folks will get COVID, and then the sequelae of illness, hospitalization, death, and long-haul COVID truly becomes significantly worse.

Our teams continue to be remarkable, stepping up time and time again to care for people in the most difficult of circumstances. They put patients’ needs before their own, but they are exhausted. And they need everyone to help by doing their part, which includes following public health measures (social distancing, masking and hand washing) as well as choosing vaccination to protect themselves, their family, their coworkers and their community.

Question 6

How do we ensure high quality?

Answer

Embedded within CentraCare is a commitment and focus on safety and quality.  That is evident by the number of recognitions/awards that we receive – even during this pandemic. Our quality scores, in general, have gotten better during the pandemic – even though the demand is high and staff issues are real. That is a testament to the remarkable commitment of our teams and for that we are grateful. Vaccination and public health measures are also necessary to decrease morbidity and mortality during this time, which greatly impact our quality of care.

Question 7

How do all of us return to a “normal life”?

Answer

All of us want our “normal” back. To do that, we need to come together – and pull together – so we can get through this. Every day we see the amazing work of our teams, but we need to all share in the responsibilities required to move beyond the current crisis we’re facing. This means taking steps to protect yourself and those around you. It means wearing masks when appropriate, practicing effective hand hygiene, maintaining social distancing, and choosing vaccination.

For the past 19 months, there has been an extraordinary collaboration amongst the hospitals/health systems in Minnesota. This collaboration occurs at many levels – from the bedside, to the support systems, to supply chain, ICU, patient transfers, staffing – and the list goes on. There is a collective willpower that is shared by all of us to “be together” as we take on this pandemic. For our patients and communities, we will continue to be a leader.