Dear colleagues,
This morning, you may have seen reports that California now has the highest number of cases in the nation, with Orange County listed as the county with the third highest number of cases in the state. Each day is a constant reminder that we all have a part to play in stopping the further spread of COVID-19.
As we continue to investigate worker infections, it is evident that COVID transmission is likely occurring in common areas and in the community. In times like this, it is understandable that team member interaction and maintaining friendships among coworkers is extremely important as we each navigate the demands posed by the pandemic. However, we must all remember that masking, hand hygiene and social distancing remain the most effective actions individuals can take to limit potential exposure. The moment you remove your mask or touch your face without clean hands, your chances of contracting the virus greatly increases.
Dr. Susan Huang’s fourth prevention pearl addresses keeping your guard up. When you congregate in break rooms or common areas be aware of high risk moments and keep the following top of mind at all times:
- Clean your hands before and after eating
- Store your mask in a clean storage bag when not in use
- Maintain a 6 foot distance while eating or when your mask is off
- Wipe down frequently touched surfaces with disinfectant
- When possible, eat outside
- Refrain from participating in potlucks, connect on video instead
In addition, as addressed in Dr. Huang’s other prevention pearls this week, the best way to remain safe from any environmental contamination is to perform hand hygiene. Remember, you can touch any contaminated surface, however you must immediately clean your hands before you touch your face or mask – every single time.
Keep your guard up, be aware of your surroundings, and please speak up if you see an opportunity to help maintain a safer environment for our patients and coworkers.
Please read today’s updates:
Increase in testing capacity
After becoming the first hospital in Orange County with in-house COVID-19 testing, UCI Medical Center has continued to expand its COVID-19 testing capacity. This week, our Molecular Division launched the fifth COVID-19 PCR testing platform in UCI labs - the ABI 7500 coupled with the Beckman Biomek i7 liquid handling system. This brings our COVID-19 RT-PCR testing capacity to 2,000 tests per day. Also, with support from two generous donors, two Abbott Alinity instruments for COVID-19 testing have been ordered and should be online in early August and October, respectively.
We would like to thank Drs. Jeff Chan and Rob Edwards, directors of the Molecular Division; Dr. Sherif Rezk, chief of Laboratory Medicine; Neil Detweiler, chief administrative officer; and Dr. Edwin Monuki, chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; and their entire team for their unceasing efforts on behalf of UCI and OC patients and providers.
Patient Satisfaction FY2020
During the last few months, UCI Health had extremely strong performance in our overall hospital rating and our other key Press Ganey patient experience performance metrics. UCI Health reached the 85th percentile in the month of April, which placed us in the 90th percentile nationally for that month, helping us surpass our FY2020 goals. With the implementation of “virtual family visits,” physician and nurse communication scores also improved, reaching our targeted goal of 82nd percentile for doctors and 79th percentile for nurses. In addition, there has been a significant improvement in our “Recommend this Provider Office” scores, with April 2020 being our highest scoring month in the history of ambulatory care at UCI Health.
I am thankful to work alongside such an amazing group. This has truly been a challenging time for everyone, and through it all we still remain steadfast in how we care for our patients – our patient satisfaction scores are a reflection of your dedication.
COVID-19 status
- COVID-19+ individuals (cumulative total): 1,883
- COVID-19+ patients in-house: 51
- COVID-19+ patients discharged: 469
- COVID-19 PUIs: 0
- COVID-19 + co-workers: 230
- COVID-19 + co-workers returned to work: 159
PPE status
- Regular masks: ~90 days on hand
- N95s: ~30 days on hand
Share Your Story
Share a story or recognize a colleague by sending a submission through this form. We look forward to hearing about all of your heroic efforts.
All updated COVID-19 information and response efforts remain available on this dedicated SharePoint site.
Trusted Resources
The UCI Human Resources Department has developed a coronavirus resources page that includes information about travel, telecommuting, child/elder care and more: https://hr.uci.edu/disaster-relief/corona-virus.php
Staff can contact any of the following resources with questions/concerns:
- UCI Coronavirus Response Center: 949-824-9918 or covid19@uci.edu
- Employee Experience Center: eec.hr.uci.edu or 949-824-0500 or eec@uci.edu
- Contact your HR Business Partner (HRBP)
For UCI Health staff that are working from home, Information Services has put together a site to assist you with telecommuting. Please visit http://it.health.uci.edu/telecommuting/ for walkthroughs, help, and other tips and tricks related to telecommuting at UCI Health.
UC Health COVID-19 site
OC Health Care Agency COVID-19 updates
California Department of Public Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
Sincerely,
Chad T. Lefteris
CEO, UCI Health |
