HFHS’ Bob Riney Shares an Update on COVID-19
April 7, 2020This week, Henry Ford Health System’s Bob Riney and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Robert Gordon joined the Chamber’s Tele-Town Hall Series to provide an update on the COVID-19 crisis.
Riney, the president of Healthcare Operations and chief operating officer of Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) shared what the hospital system is experiencing this week:
- They continue to see an increase in the number of COVID patients that require hospitalization.
- They are seeing smaller spikes as opposed to larger spikes over the last few days, but it’s way too early to certainly tell whether there is any kind of a flattening of the curve.
- Their predictive modeling suggests that they are a little ways away from that.
- As of Tuesday, April 7, Riney said that HFHS had 915 patients in isolation with the vast majority of those patients being COVID positive or presumed positive pending tests.
Every day HFHS reviews three different things:
- Physical capacity: HFHS is doing a number of things to expand their physical capacity. They have converted what used to be general practice units to intensive care units because that is where we see the significant crunch in terms of bed needs. They have also taken some of their clinic space both in ambulatory surgery sites as well as attached to the hospitals and opened up ‘mini-hospital units’.
- Human talent capacity: HFHS has noted the extraordinary talent of their health heroes. To keep up with demand, they are seeking health care workers from other states and parts of the county that have not been hit with the surge of COVID cases Detroit has been hit with. They are getting creative with scheduling and staffing so that team members are allowed the proper time to rest.
- Supply capacity: The supply capacity is a daily battle. They have been fortunate to have the Southeast Michigan business community who has raided their closets and gone through everything they can in terms of their supply chain connections to help. The State of Michigan has done a terrific job in that regard as well, Riney noted. Every day they are working 24/7 to make sure that we are finding ways to get to new avenues for supply procurement.
Henry Ford Health System Drop-off Locations for Donated Medical Supplies
HFHS’ Bob Riney Shares an Update on COVID-19
Henry Ford Health System has added new drop-off locations for businesses and organizations looking to donate new and unused medical supplies. Read the full list of donation sites and supplies needed.
Do you know a patient at a Henry Ford Health System hospital or want to send general encouragement to patients and staff? Send them virtual well wishes.
View the Chamber’s Tele-Town Hall lineup for this week and next, or listen to past speakers.