Physician-in-Chief's Message
March 27, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
 
I have attached to today’s message a letter in JAMA Pediatrics from Wuhan, China highlighting the impact of infection with SARS-COV-2 on neonates born to Mothers with COVID-19. This letter specifically highlights 3 infants who were symptomatic secondary to COVID-19. 

Next week we have scheduled an hour lecture on Thursday, 4/2 at 11:30 AM entitled “The Impact of COVID-19 in Children (Session 2) . ”  Please send questions prior to this lecture to Bays Coppedge ( Bays.Coppedge@unchealth.unc.edu ).
UNC COVID Updates
Inpatient Care
  • We continue to see PUIs but none have tested positive.
  • We will be transitioning a portion of 7 Children’s to NCCC beds (beds 15-24-total of 10). This is to allow for physical distancing. Census in NCCC will remain capped at 58.
  • Please maintain physical distancing as appropriate.
  • Thank you for all of your hard work.
Telehealth and Virtual Care
With Virtual Care ramping up everywhere in response to COVID-19, in both the ambulatory and inpatient worlds, we've included links for the UNC Virtual Care Center (VCC). Check out this site for all things Virtual Care: unchcs.intranet.unchealthcare.org/uncp/vcc (HCS login required)
 
The Virtual Care Center is holding a twice-weekly Q&A webinar.  Tuesdays 12:30p - 1:30p & Thursdays 5:15p - 6:15p. These are a great opportunity to get an update on the constantly-changing virtual care situation as well as get some questions answered too. Click HERE to see slides from the last Information Session. Please email Lisa.Alfonso@unchealth.unc.edu to be added to the invitation for future sessions.

Check out this News & Observer article on the rapid growth of virtual care at UNC in response to COVID.
Ambulatory Care
  • RDC testing is going well (including the new Pediatric RDC) and will continue with current protocols in place.
  • There is continued progress towards clinic consolidation (especially for some to clinic sites away from the medical center) and switch of patient visits to virtual visits (e.g. telephone, video, e-consults). Further information for optimizing virtual care is coming.
  • There is still an emphasis on PPE stewardship! There is continual review of procedures for optimum PPE usage, clarification of policies for reusing and sterilizing PPE, donated PPE, and types of PPE brought from home.
  • Issues regarding infusions, procedures and other needed medical care for individuals who are on official quarantine and those who are COVID positive are under development. Guidance for pediatric patients under quarantine needing an infusion is as follows:
  • Guideline for asymptomatic patients who require infusions, procedures, or in-person medical while under official quarantine:
  • If medical care or infusion can be safely delayed until after the end of quarantine, reschedule the visit.
  • The patient should have been instructed to wear a mask when they must be out in public; they should continue to wear this mask.
  • Assess for symptoms virtually immediately prior to the visit, upon arrival to the clinic, and check temperature on admission to the infusion / procedure center

Specialty Clinics in Chapel Hill & Raleigh
  • If there are questions about the schedule flow chart sent out yesterday, please contact Sherry, Kellei, Will or Ceila. We are glad to help. 
  • If you have not submitted your Raleigh team schedule and templates, please do so as soon as possible. Once we have team schedules and templates, we can begin to schedule patients more efficiently.
  • The Chapel Hill team is working to organize a protocol for scheduling emergent patients once the transition to Raleigh is complete. 

Fr anklin Street Primary Care Clinic
  • We continue to see small numbers of patients in person but have dramatically increased our visits by phone or video. We created a COVID video/phone visit guide and are happy to share this with anyone who is interested.
  • We are open for Saturday clinic seeing newborns and urgent sick visits as well as providing video/phone visits. 
  • We can offer care temporarily to patients whose primary care practices are closed or not accessible during the COVID pandemic. Please contact Martha or Benjamin if patients are in need of access to primary or sick care services.
Children's Hospital Association (CHA) COVID-19 Webinar Series
COVID-19 New York Landscape - Monday, March 30, 2020 at 2p
Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, is at the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic. During this webinar, members of the leadership team will share their experiences with COVID-19. Join the live webcast to learn from the team and ask questions.

Registration is required. If you're not already a member of the CHA, creating a new membership HERE is free and simple.
I truly cannot thank you enough for all you are doing! Please take care of yourself and your families during this unprecedented time.

Thank you for reaching out to me about PPE supply gifts! I end today’s message with a note from a family cared for in our NICU in 2016.

We truly have remarkable teams committed to the care of families at UNC Children’s. Please don’t hesitate to reach to me with anything ( sddavis@med.unc.edu ; 919-417-3130).

Gratefully,