TO:
All Members of the RWJUH Family
FROM: John J. Gantner, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
RE:
RWJUH COVID-19 Update
Following is the latest in our ongoing updates related to COVID-19 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH):
- As mentioned in earlier updates, the supply of all personal protective equipment, including masks, is being managed from a central location and allocated to the appropriate care areas on a “just in time” basis. If there is an item you need, please make your Director aware who will then reach out to the Hospital Command Center.
- Protective gowns should be worn when caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Gowns are coming in on a daily basis from several suppliers. At the present time, there is no change in the surgical and procedure attire policy, which defines specific areas where hospital scrubs can be worn.
- Fit testing for the new N-95 mask will be limited to those staff members who are directly caring for COVID-19 patients. Our clinical educators will not perform house-wide fit testing for the Tronex N-95 mask until further notice.
- Please remember that an 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. daily curfew has been implemented statewide by Governor Phil Murphy. Because of this curfew and the new visitation policy currently in effect, it is imperative that hospital employees have their identification badges with them at all times when traveling to and from RWJUH and on campus.
- An Emergency Department pre-screening tent equipped with two telemedicine consultation stations is expected to be operational today. By pre-screening patients, our clinicians can better differentiate between patients requiring emergency care versus those who require further evaluation for illnesses such as COVID-19 or the flu. Establishing this pre-screening area will help us maintain a safe environment for all patients and our caregivers.
- CLICK HERE for the latest Daily Briefing Report that is sent out from the RWJBH corporate offices. The briefing contains additional up-to-date information regarding the impact of COVID-19.
For more information or if you have any questions about COVID-19, e-mail
[email protected]
.
On behalf of our Leadership Team, I would once again like to express our deepest gratitude to you for your ability to adapt to these evolving circumstances and rise to the challenge that is before us.
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COVID-19 Testing Guidance
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--NEW Phone Number For COVID-19 Testing Approval--
RWJUH
is conducting a
LIMITED
number of COVID-19 tests
in-house.
ALL REQUESTS FOR COVID-19 TESTING MUST GO THROUGH INFECTION PREVENTION
.
The NEW phone number for testing approval is
732-947-9620
.
NOTE: This is a new phone number, opened today.
PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS NUMBER WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE OF RWJUH.
DO NOT CALL THE COVID-19 HOSPITALIST TEAM SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN GETTING TESTING APPROVED
. Infection Prevention makes all decisions regarding testing. The Hospitalist team is focused on caring for these patients and does not influence testing decisions.
For Infection Prevention questions, please use extensions
2480
/
4482
/
7552
/
4474
during regular business hours. The public may call
1-800-222-1222
for any COVID-19 questions.
Outpatient testing remains extremely limited/unavailable, though commercial testing development is fluid.
--Guidance on COVID-19 Testing For Patients Not Requiring Admission--
At the current time, due to a shortage in swabs and viral transport medium, RWJUH is
only taking swabs from patients who need to be admitted to the hospital
.
The State of NJ, in cooperation with the Federal government, is planning to open
large-scale, drive-thru testing sites
, starting with Monmouth County (planned for the
PNC Bank Arts Center
on the Garden State Parkway in Holmdel). More guidance on this will be provided as announced.
Additionally, in the interest of conserving viral transport medium for patients requiring COVID-19 testing,
please do not order any Respiratory Virus Panels (RVPs) until further notice
.
--Guidelines For Other Testing For COVID 19-Positive Patients--
Please be thoughtful in your
ordering of tests for COVID 19-positive
patients. If a test is not absolutely necessary, consider the potential exposure risk for other staff members involved in completing the testing.
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RWJUH COVID Situational Update
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As of 12:00 PM,
RWJUH
had
5 COVID 19-positive patients
in the hospital. Tests on additional patients and potential discharges of positive patients were pending. At least four COVID 19-positive inpatient have recovered and been discharged.
RWJUH has had 11 COVID 19-positive tests to date.
As of 1:00 PM, the
NJ Dept. of Health
is reporting
267 COVID 19-positive patients
in the state. Of those, 22 positive patients are in Middlesex County, 22 are in Monmouth County, and 7 are in Somerset County. A total of 15 counties in NJ have at least 1 positive patient.
CLICK HERE
for the NJ DOH's county-by-county tracking page.
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These links are provided solely for your consideration. The RWJUH Medical Staff Office is not providing these as recommendations for care of patients.
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We're All In This Together
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The
nursing and support staff
at RWJUH are doing
exceptional
work under these trying circumstances. They are here to help, but they face the same worries and concerns that we all do.
These are extraordinary times. You are doing extraordinary work. Please keep doing so, as we all work towards the same basic goals: provide the
best possible care
for our patients, while trying to
keep them -- and ourselves -- safe
.
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Updated N95/All Mask Information
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--FIT Testing Restrictions--
FIT testing is being limited to areas that will be treating COVID-19 patients and PUIs. When testing is opened up to a wider group, we will let you know.
--Proper Use of Masks (Which Sometimes Means NOT Wearing A Mask) Are Important To Preventing Infection Spread--
Proper use of masks includes
:
- Put the mask on when you're donning PPE to enter a room, and fully remove it while doffing after exiting;
- Do NOT leave a mask dangling around your neck;
- You do NOT need to wear a mask while walking on floors or around our campus. As we are carefully monitoring mask supply, unnecessary use of masks not only depletes supplies, but spreads fear.
--Guidelines For Facial Hair/N95 Masks--
Additionally,
OSHA
and
Respiratory Protection Standards
indicated that
facial hair which comes between the sealing surface of the mask and the face
will
pose a hazard
and compromise the "seal," resulting in a higher risk of exposure to the clinician.
We ask that all providers requiring FIT testing remain clean shaven for their and their colleagues' protection. Religious accommodations will be made.
CLICK HERE
for a memo from RWJUH President & CEO John J. Gantner.
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We have received notices from our blood suppliers regarding the
tremendous strain COVID-19 has placed on blood supply
. Recommendations from
RWJBH’s Blood Management Program
are as follows:
- Strict adherence to the recommended transfusions triggers for RBCs:
- 7g/dL for stable, non-bleeding patients (focus on entire clinical picture, symptoms not just a numbers)
- 8g/dL for patient with cardiovascular disease
- Single unit transfusion – RBCs and platelets (MUST reassess before ordering a second unit)
- Surgical cases – anticipated blood loss ≥500cc implement cell saver with the requirement to spin down everything collected in reservoir and give back to the patient in order to reduce the need for banked blood
- Minimize serial lab draws – focus on draws that are necessary (keep the blood in the patient)
- ICU/CTICU and CCU – ensure utilization of VAMP (Venous Arterial blood Management Protection) systems to re-infuse excess blood not needed when drawing blood sample for testing
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Your help to encourage healthy people to
donate blood and platelets
is requested at this time. Our
RWJUH Blood Services
staff is working very hard to continue to provide services throughout this unprecedented time. Our goal is to maintain a safe and
adequate
supply for our patients in need!
Please have interested and potential donors access our appointment portal at
rwjuhdonorclub.org
or call
732-235-8100 x221
or
x248
.
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Every morning, a
video briefing
by
Dr. Jim Salwitz
will be released, providing an update on COVID-19 activity at RWJUH and the implementation of the hospital's action plan.
BOOKMARK THIS PAGE
and check daily for updates.
New briefings will be posted at approximately 10:00 AM.
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In addition to the new visitor restrictions, you will begin to notice
additional doors being locked/made swipe access only
throughout the campus. This includes the
entrances to the East Tower
, and connections with other buildings on our campus.
Please have your ID visible at all times.
More changes are likely in the coming days. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.
In the interest of both patient safety and your own exposure risks, please be thoughtful about your movement within the hospital, especially transitioning from inpatient areas to outpatient and ambulatory spaces.
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- In addition to being a closed service, SBMU is a closed unit for the protection of our patients and providers. Please do not enter SBMU unless asked or consulted by the COVID-19 Hospitalist team;
- Providers under quarantine should contact RWJUH Corporate Care/Employee Health for clearance to return to work. You may also need clearance from your employer. Please provide documentation to the Medical Staff Office of your clearance to return to work;
- Visitor guidelines have been updated to allow post-op patients 1 short visit by 1 person following the procedure;
- Leaders at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital are finalizing plans to cohort all pediatric patients with respiratory illness, including COVID 19-positive patients and PUIs;
- The tents outside of the Emergency Department are now wired for telehealth. These spaces are NOT for testing & treatment -- they will be used to triage patients arriving in our ED, protecting the health of both our patients and caregivers;
- There are no special laundry handling guidelines for COVID-19 -- standard washing and use of disinfectants on surfaces will kill the virus. While you may choose to not wear your white coat, standard precautions will help prevent the spread of the virus;
- The new digital screen in the Courtyard is now live and includes information on COVID-19;
- As we continue our efforts to restrict the number of people entering our facilities, a temporary ban is being put in place on flower deliveries to patients;
- The Federal government announced today that CMS will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for beneficiaries residing across the country. Beneficiaries will be able to receive telehealth services in any healthcare facility, including a physician’s office, hospital, nursing home or rural health clinic, as well as from their homes. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to receive various services through telehealth including common office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings. CMS is waiving certain HIPAA requirements for telehealth services during this Public Health Emergency, allowing the use of platforms like Facetime on cellphones.
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Additional Useful Resources
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Previous RWJUH COVID-19 Updates:
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