NORWICH – A year ago, the world waited with bated breath as news reports of a deadly new virus began filtering out of Asia. It was a story that could have been ripped from the plot of a blockbuster movie or bestselling thriller, playing out in real life.
It didn’t take long for the novel coronavirus to trigger use of the word “pandemic.” Medical professionals across the globe, including here in Chenango County, raced to prepare for the worst case scenario as the threat grew.
“We had no way of knowing when it would arrive at our doorstep, but we knew it would,” said David Finney, Vice President of Clinical Services at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital.
Weeks before the first lab-confirmed case was reported in Chenango, the Norwich hospital and its peers around the state were already feeling the early warning signs through their supply chain.
“Personal protective equipment, such as masks and exam gloves, as well as cleaning supplies became increasingly hard to procure,” Finney said.
At the same time, health care workers and community members alike were seeing images of overcrowded intensive care wards in European hospitals and the weary medical teams fighting the virus on the front lines in major U.S. cities.
There were many unknowns, but that didn’t stop the rural hospital from doing everything it could to ready itself and its staff.
“Long before the first COVID patient came through our Emergency Department, we had taken steps to protect our most vulnerable patients and residents,” he explained. “Some of those early precautions – visitor restrictions, daily staff screenings, negative pressure rooms and surge plans – remain in place in some form nearly a full 12 months after they were first instituted.”
On an early call with the New York Department of Health, Finney recalled the governor himself describe the state agency as “Gumby,” in its bid to make things as flexible as possible for hospitals to meet the demands of the pandemic. What followed were a number of executive orders that gave healthcare organizations the ability to be more nimble.
That included clearing the barriers that had previously slowed the hospital’s launch of virtual care options for its primary and specialty practices. In a matter of days, Chenango Memorial was able to launch these telemedicine services - which became increasingly necessary as stay-at-home orders went into effect.
That flexibility did come at a cost, according to Finney. One of the executive orders put a halt to all elective surgeries across the state.
“It was necessary to ensure staffing, supplies and beds to meet the surge, but it did hurt hospitals financially,” he explained.
Thankfully, the Norwich hospital was able to qualify for the federal Payroll Protection Program. Additional financial assistance was provided through the Provider Relief Fund and other federal stimulus programs.
“Those funds helped keep us whole, and meant that we could re-deploy displaced staff rather than furloughing employees like many hospitals had to do,” Finney said. “It also enabled us to both prepare for COVID and maintain services so we could continue to meet the regular health needs of our community throughout the crisis and beyond.”
At the same time, the hospital experienced an outpouring of support from the very patients and community it serves.
“Our community stepped forward to help us like never before,” said Chris Kisacky, Vice President of Service Delivery and Development.
According to Kisacky, a number of local businesses and manufacturers donated personal protective equipment and supplies, including Raymond, Norwich Pharmaceuticals, Kerry, Chentronics, Progressive Dental and Ford Motor Company.
“These deliveries bolstered our supplies of key items such as N95 and other masks, gloves and face shields at a time when they were difficult to procure through our normal channels,” she said.
Meals arrived from many sources, including hundreds purchased from local restaurants through Commerce Chenango’s Fueling the Frontline program. Community members contributed thousands of hand sewn cloth masks. School children drew pictures and local churches sent prayer videos.
“People were so generous and thoughtful,” Kisacky said. “It’s hard to put into words how much that meant to all of us, knowing how much the community was behind us as we faced this pandemic together.”
The Norwich hospital had started 2020 on an optimistic note, celebrating the success of the Chenango Medical Neighborhood Capital Campaign. The more than $6 million raised in the historic fundraising effort is helping fund the largest concentrated investment in the healthcare facility in more than 50 years.
“Even with our focus on COVID-19, work has continued with this important investment,” Kisacky said.
The new Emergency Department and Walk-In Center that are the centerpieces of the project are scheduled for completion in late 2021.
“It’s a testament to our contractors and facilities team that we were able to push forward with this work despite the demands of COVID,” she said.
The rise of the novel coronavirus did push back another important investment Chenango Memorial had planned for early 2020: the implementation of a new UHS system-wide electronic medical record system.
“We had planned to go live with EPIC in April, but due to COVID, that date was pushed back to September,” Kisacky said. “This is really the premier system of its kind, and was a very large investment made by our system partners at UHS.”
For Kisacky, one of EPIC’s most exciting features is the MyChart patient portal.
“MyChart allows patients access to their test results, treatment plans, information on past and future appointments and so much more. It also allows them to easily communicate with their care team,” she explained.
Going live with a new system-wide EMR in the midst of a pandemic was a challenge, according to Finney. He credited the commitment of the staff and providers at UHS Chenango Memorial for the success of the implementation.
“There were many months of preparation and many hours of training put in to this process. Yes, there were challenges, but our team rose to meet them and worked through them together,” he said.
Not that he or any of his fellow leaders would have expected anything less after the way that same team had responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
“Our staff and providers have shown us time and again the true meaning of teamwork,” Finney said. “COVID has impacted every aspect of our work and our personal lives. We deeply appreciate the many sacrifices and contributions each individual member of our team has made.”
If anything, COVID is even more of a concern at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital now than it was last March.
“When this started, we didn’t have the tests, the PPE or even the clinical experience to battle COVID-19. Now, we have those things and a vaccine,” he said. “But none of those things are going to stop the spread of this virus in our community. The only thing that will is a change of behavior.”
According to Finney, the hospital is seeing higher numbers of COVID positive cases now than at any point in the last year. Many are a result of workplace exposures, or gatherings of friends or family.
“We’re all ready to put COVID behind us, and we know what to do,” he said. “Wash your hands. Wear your mask. Avoid gatherings. If you are sick, stay home.”