With the national birthday freshly celebrated, this may be a good time to take stock of some potentially positive news for the American people as it pertains to the ongoing pandemic.  The operative word here is “potentially,” as little is certain in these very uncertain times.  With that said, the following reflects a couple of the latest stories hot off the press.

Hydroxychloroquine Hype

According to a study published this month in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, COVID patients who received a small dose of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) within the first two days of their hospital stay were more likely to survive.  This finding stands in stark contrast to a recent rescinding by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of emergency use authorization of HCQ, which they indicated was based on previous studies pointing to the ineffectiveness of the drug.

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, researchers at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan reviewed the medical records of 2,541 COVID patients who had been admitted from March 10 to May 2.  They specifically focused on patients who were given 400 milligrams of HCQ twice on the day of their hospital admission and 200 milligrams twice daily during the following four days.  It was determined that 13 percent of patients who received hydroxychloroquine died, compared with 26 percent of patients who did not receive the drug.

While these findings would seem to confirm some of the earlier hype of HCQ based on anecdotal evidence, the study’s co-author, Marcus Zervos, MD, said that “prospective, randomized studies are needed to further confirm the results.”  Cautious optimism is the phrase to keep in mind as further studies are sure to follow.

Jobs Jump

According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) monthly jobs report, America’s healthcare industry added 358,000 jobs throughout the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June.  About 7,000 of these jobs were in the hospital sector, the first gain since March.  Granted, these are not huge numbers when compared to the rest of the health-related gains, but it does provide a small ray of light in the midst of the daily gloom and doom to which we’ve all grown accustomed.

Despite this generally positive news, we recognize that the current surge in COVID cases being reported in the majority of states will probably work to offset these recent job gains for hospitals, causing the workforce numbers to head in the opposite direction in coming weeks.  We have seen reports over the last several days indicating a possible return to earlier restrictions on elective surgeries.  As an example, HealthcareDive provided the following assessment:

Providers like Tenet Healthcare had reported patient volumes beginning to return fairly robustly, but the recent increases have forced some Texas counties to once again halt elective procedures. While other states have not yet followed suit, skyrocketing case counts are likely to depress volumes significantly, which could lead once again to layoffs and furloughs down the line.

So, we are not out of the woods yet.  In fact, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has recently said “the worst is yet to come.”  At a time when Americans are desperate to get back to business as usual, that is not the kind of projection we were wanting to hear.  Nevertheless, these latest numbers from the BLS serve to provide at least some measure of hope.

Foot Forward

So, how do hospitals prepare at this point?  There are the old adages that admonish one to “keep your powder dry” and “hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”  Perhaps these are the best maxims to follow in these increasingly erratic times.  Hospital executives will need to move cautiously during this on-again, off-again environment in which we all find ourselves.  As part of that process, facility administrators might want to consider pursuing the following strategies:

• Keep a close eye on daily reports of the progression of COVID cases in your geographical area.
• Continue to review the latest clinical methodologies for combatting the virus, to include techniques, drugs, testing, etc.
• Ensure your facility is prepared for a possible influx of COVID patients.
• Review your current COVID protocols to see if changes are needed.
• Continue to monitor HHS, CDC, WHO and FDA guidance.
• Get input from your clinical team concerning what they are seeing and what works.
• Be agile.  Have the capacity to be flexible in short order from a resource perspective—including human resources—to respond to the ebb and flow of COVID in your area.

All administrators can do is put their best foot forward and find a way through the present upheaval.  We at MiraMed Global Services understand the strain our hospitals have been under for this protracted period.  For some, that strain will continue a bit longer.  Like those soldiers of the past who had to endure extended sacrifice on fields far away, it will take renewed courage on the part of our healthcare workers to keep up the struggle in our current national crisis.  In this home of the brave, we have no doubt that they will rise to the challenge, being assured of the hope that lies ahead.

Please reach out to us at info@miramedgs.com if we can assist you in any way.