Weitzman ECHO COVID-19 - December 1st, 2021

1. 1 Dec 2021
www.hospitaldaluz.pt

2. 48,454,229 cases on 11/30/21 with 778,870 deaths
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map
COVID-19 in the United States: TOTAL

3. COVID-19 Hot Spots
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html

4. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html
New Reported Cases – United States

5. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

6. Omicron -B.1.1.529 Variant
• New Variant of Concern (VOC)
from S. Africa
– Only 24% of population
immunized!
– Infections have increased steeply
– Seems to be highly infectious
• Highly mutated around the
Spike protein
– 43 spike protein mutations,
compared to 18 for Delta variant

7. Omicron
• We’re still dealing with Delta variant
– 99.9 percent of our samples
– Sequencing ~80,000 samples each week
• One in seven positive PCR samples
• Symptoms?
• More mild – this was reported in younger
• Dr. Fauci “be careful of bread crumbs”

8. Will vaccines cover for Omicron?
• A surge of protective antibodies after a
booster shot would likely still be
formidable against Omicron, helping to
prevent severe illness, Dr. Fauci said
– ~100 million Americans without a booster
• Pfizer, Moderna: They could have a
modified vaccine ready in ~100 days
– They already had been working on it!

9. Molnupiravir – FDA Evaluation
• Lagevrio (Molnupiravir)
– ‘False’ nucleoside instead of real
cytidine (C)
– Stops RNA strand production
• About 50 percent effective when
given within five days of the onset of
symptoms

10. COVID-19 Vaccinations Across the Nation
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

11. COVID-19 Boosters Across the Nation
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

12. Percent Fully Vaccinated by State for the Total Population
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-fully-percent-total

13. Trusted Resources
• Johns Hopkins
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
• CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2020/
• WHO:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• Others
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html
https://www.thelancet.com/coronavirus
https://covidactnow.org/

14. Reflections on COVID-19 as a Leader:
Tim Kearney, Chief Behavioral Health Officer
• Standing alongside staff
• Stress in America Findings
– One in three Americans said sometimes they are so stressed about the coronavirus
pandemic that they struggle to make even basic decisions
• Increasing demand for behavioral health roles
• Challenges for Behavioral Health providers:
– Busy schedules with fewer no-shows and more challenging visits
– Balancing upkeep of client relationships with school policies
– Staff requirements to be onsite; be flexible wherever possible
• Embrace qualities of home-life, as appropriate (e.g., pets, kids)
• Opportunity to train the next generation in the hybrid model

15. Reflections on COVID-19 as a Leader:
Veena Channamsetty, Chief Medical Officer
• Positive aspects of working from home
• Work-life balance boundaries have become blurred and
professional boundaries may need to be re-established
• Working from home presents new stressors
– Children’s needs
– School needs
– Family illnesses
• Balance of telehealth vs in-person
• Workforce shortage and support

16. Reflections on COVID-19 as a Leader:
Mary Blankson, Chief Nursing Officer
• Addressing and continuing Team-Based Care with gaps in staffing and
some staff remote
– Re-evaluate the FTE needed to support a panel
– Re-evaluate priorities to address during clinic visits
– Coordinate remote and onsite staff logistics
– Evaluate success of remote assignments
– Recognize patient preferences to be remote or onsite
– Addressing incident to care for telehealth visits
• Impact of the Great Resignation

17. Employee Retention
• Provide staff with platforms to be heard
– Town halls
– Listening sessions
– One on one meetings
– Clear plan for follow up
• Recognize and appreciate staff
– Salary reviews
– Bonuses
– Lunches & thank you’s

18. Recruitment Efforts
• Diversifying staff, such as hiring other certified clinical staff, such as CNAs
and EMTs
• Market research
• Sign on bonuses
• Provider recruitment/retention
• BH recruitment/retention

19. Acknowledging Rising Leaders
Acknowledge individuals who have risen up to support patient care and
colleagues in response to COVID-19.
• Natalie Bycenski, Senior Nurse Manager and Infection Control and
Immunization Specialist at CHC, Inc.

20. Lessons Learned & Promising Practices
• The pandemic affects everyone
• Telehealth & service delivery impacts are not
going away
• Establish platforms for staff feedback and
define a process for feedback follow up
• Proactive appreciation and ongoing market
analysis

21. Resources
• Stress in America™ 2021: Pandemic impedes basic
decision-making ability