Physician-in-Chief's Message
March 24, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
 
Thank you to those who attended our webinar today! I would also like to thank Tom Belhorn and Amy Ursano for their outstanding presentations and for answering so many questions. Unfortunately, due to time, we were unable to get to all the questions! Given this, we will plan to answer your questions through this daily newsletter.
UNC COVID Updates
Inpatient Care
  • 2 COVID patients under investigation (PUI)
  • Laboratory update:
............. As it stands, a provider may order:
................. 1. Resp pathogen panel (alone, no COVID)
................. 2. Resp pathogen panel with COVID
................. 3. COVID alone
  • If ordering RPP alone, you may add on a COVID to the sample up to 72 hours after RRP specimen obtained.
  • Please remember social distancing even when rounding-minimum number of individuals gathered in groups, attempting to maintain safe distances from patients and limiting physician/nurse interactions with patients (for their safety).
Telehealth and Virtual Care
  •  Thanks to all who are testing various virtual visit types.
  • We are now in the process of submitting names for ALL interested providers to do video visits through the Epic portal. 
  • We don’t know when they will get to this comprehensive list of all providers but hopefully soon. While you are waiting you can do the LMS training on video visits which is called UNCHISDVCARE
Ambulatory Care
  • New guidelines for testing at the RDC and policies for employees who are ill or possibly have a COVID exposure were released within the past 36 hours.
  • There is continued movement / progress towards switch of patient visits to virtual visits (e.g. telephone, video, e-consults) and clinic consolidation.
  • Questions on optimum PPE usage continue to arise, specifically r.e. needed changes with community spread leading to greater risk of patient exposure / infection as well as implementation of strategies for cleaning and reusing PPE, donated PPE, and types of PPE brought from home. These are continually being addressed by infection prevention; any new guidelines or recommendations will be distributed.
  • Again -many thanks are extended to those working on optimizing outpatient care during this time period!
Emergency Department and Urgent Care
  • No new changes for the Pediatric ED at the Medical Center. 
  • Children's Urgent Care in Raleigh remains open from 4 pm - Midnight weekdays and 12 Noon - Midnight weekends for both injured and ill patients - including respiratory patients. 
  • If a provider needs follow-up in clinic for respiratory problem after hours or on weekends consider sending to Children's Urgent Care. Call 984-215-6435 to discuss with the Attending on duty. 
  • We will not be able to perform Flu/RSV/respiratory pathogen panel or COVID-19 testing in the Children's Urgent Care at this time. Patient's that need this service will be referred to the Pediatric RDC in Cary or back to their PCP when appropriate the next day. 
The Impact of COVID-19 in Children - March 24, 2020 Recording
Click the, “Play Recording” button below and enter the password : Xc97PJxu.
The slides of this presenation are also available on the UNC Pediatrics COVID site.
Duration: 56 min 58 sec.
Beginning on Friday, March 27, 2020.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Central Time (2p EDT)

The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) is developing a question and answer webcast series to help address your questions regarding managing COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. The webcast series will feature expert panelists who will answer questions
posed during the live webcasts and from social media.

For more information and resources visit SCCM Emergency Resources.
We will plan to have another COVID-19 update next week. Stay tuned for the date and time.
Thank you for all that you are doing!

Gratefully!

Stephanie
Cell: 919-417-3130