Presbyterian Hospital Dallas post Ebola crisis- regaining community trust

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Presbyterian Hospital Dallas is licensed 866 bed facility considered flagship hospital of Texas Health Resources. ER physician services provided by outside firm Emergency Medicine Consultants Ltd., common in many areas.

Ebola crisis is testing Presbyterian Hospital Dallas

..Even as their workplace weathers a storm of criticism, Presbyterian’s crew of doctors, nurses and staff has tried to maintain a show of calm and integrity. Meantime, a hospital generating $600 million in annual revenue faces a deep loss of public trust and, for now, some loss of patients who are abandoning ship altogether.

And Dallas is getting bruised nationwide.....

Amid Ebola fears, Dallas hospital saw a big drop in volumes .

From Oct. 1 to Oct. 20, the hospital reported that:

• ED visits decreased by 53%;
  
• Surgical volumes decreased by 25%; and
  
• Average daily occupancy decreased from 428 patients to 337.
  
• 15% decrease in physician office visits area surrounding hospital
  

What should hospitals across the country be telling their communities about Ebola?

Hospitals need to communicate three things:

1. We are prepared. Provide details about infection control protocols and other preparation steps to build trust.

2. For most people, the risk is low. Reinforce that the risk of contracting Ebola is extremely low unless you've had direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person. However, to show you're taking the risk seriously, don't begin or end with this message. Instead, sandwich it between messages about safety and preparation, such as the above and below.

3. Here's what you can control. Providing action steps can help relieve anxiety, while also reducing transmission of other types of infections. Examples include "Wash your hands" and "Do not touch the body fluids of people who are sick."

What could Dallas learn from Toronto's 2003 SARS response?

..Both Dallas and Toronto demonstrated lapses in infection control.

Dr. Vivek Goel, founding president and former CEO of Public Health Ontario, an agency created in response to SARS, said the traditional approach to preventing the spread of infection is to “just tell the health care workers what to do and expect them to do it.”

But the instructions have to be repeatedly reinforced. “It’s actually like any other behavior change,” Goel said.

Ferguson-Paré, the former chief nurse executive in Ontario, said her staff held daily huddles during the outbreak. In the meetings, workers would review protocols, share updates and make detailed plans for the day.

“It takes an enormous amount of education of staff and, really, a military precision” to prepare the entire health care team, she said.

Hospitals in Toronto did not restrict the movement of nurses and other health care workers who cared for SARS patients but “everyone knew they had to be very careful,” said Ferguson-Paré.

Staff tending to patients had their temperatures checked upon arrival for work each day. Many voluntarily isolated themselves from family and slept in their basements or in hotels.

“No staff member got on a plane, thank God,” she said. “There was enough education of the staff that they really were in tune with how best to handle themselves.”...

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Excellent article. I liked how they tried to explain about how the ER docs are independent contractors. This issue alone explains so many of the current problems in hospital care today.

[milosmom]

I work at Presby Dallas and although we experienced some difficult times, the patients are now beginning to fill our hospital. It's been a great learning experience! We have been supported by so many people in the community as well as other hospitals. I am Presby Proud!!

[chadrn65]

I work at Presby Dallas and although we experienced some difficult times, the patients are now beginning to fill our hospital. It's been a great learning experience! We have been supported by so many people in the community as well as other hospitals. I am Presby Proud!!

Glad to hear things are looking up! It could have occurred in any hospital in the U.S.A., just happened to be Presby. I am sure Presby will recover just fine and the community will make strides to support. Take care.

[milosmom]

Thanks Chad

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

I work at Presby Dallas and although we experienced some difficult times, the patients are now beginning to fill our hospital. It's been a great learning experience! We have been supported by so many people in the community as well as other hospitals. I am Presby Proud!!

I want to express my personal thanks to the nurses at Presby Dallas, especially those who had direct care with the patients infected with the Ebola virus. Just know that many in the nursing world as well as the public are behind you.

Please share the following thread with all the nurses at Presby Dallas.

Nurses, Say Thank You to Ebola Nurses, Patients, Those Speaking Out

​This was written with nurses like you in mind........

[milosmom]

Thanks tnbutterfly. I will share the article.