For nearly three months hospitals across the nation have been postponing medical visits and elective procedures in order to save staff and resources for
a potential surge of COVID-19 patients. Those restrictions are now a part of the exit strategy from the stay-at-home policies implemented in Michigan and throughout the country.
But this return to normal leaves providers still figuring out how to safely return to normal, while patients are looking for assurances that by returning for a medical visit they will be safe while asking the question "are our hospitals really returning to normal after furloughing personnel" and turning inpatient medical facilities into COVID-19 emergency centers.
With these questions in mind I set down, well really a conference call, with
Dave Spivey, President, St. Mary Mercy Livonia and
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St. Mary Mercy Hospital is ramping up
in a return to normal. So stop on in.
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Nick Nickolopoulos, Chief Nursing Officer at St. Mary Mercy Livonia.
Spivey explained as soon as pleasantries were taken care of, and yes this typewriter has a huge amount of respect for the role St. Mary's has played in developing a healthy Livonia, and in fact in developing as a community.
It was difficult to have a question and answer session, one, because I know of the role played over the past 60 years as a cornerstone of Livonia and two, having talked with many employees and staff at the hospital who understand the importance Nickolopoulos and Spivey play in maintaining a positive community relationship.
Spivey explains that the staff has anticipated a phased ramp up from an all in and all hands of deck approach to the COVID-19 emergency requirements to a return in handling surgeries that have been elective and out-patient.
Having furloughed approximately 150 St. Mary employees they are now starting the process of calling
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Nick Nickolopoulos
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back 1/3 of these employees as needed. As outpatient appointments and surgeries increase others will be called back.
Nickolopoulos explains that as procedures ramp up his leadership team meets three times a week to prioritize the safeguards needed, such as pre-testing patients and screening patients at the door as they arrive.
The term "elective" encompasses anything that isn't considered an emergency. That can be a joint replacement or cancer-related reconstruction surgery. Removing non-life-threatening tumors, replacing heart valves and unblocking arteries are also generally considered elective, or colonoscopies. "
These are important medical procedures that if not attended to could become crises and could ultimately burden the rest of the health care system."
I was curious about the PPE issue that seemed to have affected hospitals nationwide. It was easy to ask, "are you well supplied and was it an issue over the last three months?"
It seems that with St. Mary Mercy being a part of Trinity they had access to a national supply chain with a centralized ware house that was "a 1st class system with a really solid supply" of reliable access.
They both praised the community being so supportive with the manufacturing companies in Livonia coming to the hospital's aide as needed. Spivey singled out, without limiting it to AlphaUSA and NYX.
A part of the ramp up and phased inclusion of additional services to be readily available is the anticipated completion of the
new 124,000-square-foot health care
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Schoolcraft College is gearing up for the completion of the IHA & St. Joe's Medical Center
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facility, IHA & St. Joe's Livonia Medical Center, which is set to open on the Schoolcraft College Campus in the spring of 2021. Schoolcraft College, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, and Integrated Healthcare Associates (IHA) will collaborate to build this new medical center on the northeast corner of the campus that will bring leading health care providers and services to the campus.
"The construction was far enough along that the work continued with anticipated opening in April 2021 for urgent care and imaging with ambulatory surgery available in June 2021.
One of the medical advances that was moved up during the pandemic was the use of tele-medicine, even inside the hospital. "With cameras in the rooms our doctors can discuss care with several patients without having to spend the time walking between rooms. 30% of a doctor's visit time is via tele-medicine. Spivey comments, "we talked about it before but now it is coming true."
With returning employees, safety precautions in place, and a sense that it is no longer necessary to put off needed care. Protocols are in place and Nickolopoulos and his team is working to make sure staff implement each and every one. Now is the time to take care of delayed medical attention before problems build.
"Our staff is enjoying some relief and time off," Nickolopoulos states.
Spivey with a sense of pride says in backing this up that "the front line staff leadership team is remarkable."
Let's take a look at just one part of the front line leadership team
Chief Nursing Officer Nick
Nickolopoulos served as the director of eight medical units at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, where he managed more than 500 colleagues and had 100 direct reports.
Following a four-year tour of service as a U.S. Army medic, Nickolopoulos joined St. Joe's Oakland in 1995 as an emergency room team assistant. He became a nurse assistant in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Critical Care pool, and advanced to manager of the ICU. He earned his bachelor's degree in Nursing at Oakland University and a master of business administration degree in Healthcare Management from Western Governor's University.
Dave Spivey has been wearing two hats for the past 7 1/2 months. Trinity Health asked to do double duty as interim president of Mount Carmel East in Columbus Ohio following
the September death of its president.
Spivey
continued as CEO of the 340 bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, He's led St. Mary Mercy hospital for19 years and held various management roles in Trinity over three decades.
He led the opening of a 128-bed patient tower in summer 2018, then immediately turned to the renovation of the last semiprivate rooms in the hospital's 1972 tower. The $310 million project downsized the hospital to 380 beds but all private rooms. He also brought graduate medical education to St. Mary Mercy in 2010, meaning that newly licensed physicians can complete their residency training there. He also opened Michigan's first ER specifically for patients age 65 and older at St. Mary Mercy.
Saying thanks to the community
When asked what the future holds for the hospital that has played such an integral role in the development of Livonia Spivey was quick to say that "we are in a challenging time but are well positioned to serve into the future, moving forward from our first 60 years to our next 60 years."
At some time in the future when it is appropriate Nickolopoulos says that his staff has expressed a "desire to thank the community for its support."
"We had open houses in the past," Spivey adds, "This might be a way in which we can show the community how much we appreciate their cooperation and assistance."
guarantee that the person submitting that
application is in fact registered to vote.
Peggy Gaskill, President Livonia Civic Chorus: Thank you for the article in Musings about the Livonia Civic Chorus establishing a Legacy Fund or as we call it, a "rainy day fund"! This is so appropriate since we wanted to be prepared "in case" and then we all realized what is happening right now. What you didn't indicate in your article is that these donations were solicited by FridayMusings in another of the many ways you have supported the Livonia Civic Chorus over the years. So...to FridayMusings and the 30 or so donors listed in MUSINGS, the 72 members of the Livonia Civic Chorus say a very heartfelt "THANK YOU". We will deposit the $2500 to our Legacy account for a future "rainy day".
