Mosaic system pandemic plans are working
Nate Blackford President of Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville
Monday afternoon, hospital CEOs from around the state heard from Governor Mike Parson about the state of COVID-19 throughout Missouri.
As you may know, both he and his wife, Teresa, were diagnosed last week with the disease. He said the first lady is doing well and that he has not had any symptoms. It was very good to hear from him, and it is great when people are able to recover from this disease without the need for hospitalization. I hope they both eventually are included in that group.
Throughout the Mosaic Life Care system, we want to be incredibly transparent to the communities we serve regarding our preparedness and execution of the plans we have in place for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The positivity rate of COVID-19 is currently increasing in our community and region. This translates into an increase in the number of positive patients requiring hospitalizations. Some require long stays in our facilities; others recover more quickly.
At the time of this writing, there are 53 COVID-19 inpatients, two of which are here in Maryville. Last week, that number was 33 and for most of the summer, fewer than 20.
Since March, Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville along with our sister hospitals in St. Joseph and Albany have been preparing and planning for exactly what is happening now. We have taken all the proper precautions and have the facilities and equipment available to care for patients requiring hospitalizations.
As a system, our initial plan included sending Maryville COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalizations to St. Joseph and respond to higher volumes exactly as we are now – keeping lower acuity patients here in Maryville. Should needs rise, Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville is able and ready to handle higher numbers of COVID-19 patients.
Moreover, and I want to be clear, Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph and Mosaic Medical Center – Albany also has the capabilities to flex up and down as the needs of our communities and region change. Our response plan focuses on placing the needs of the patient first for the right care, at the right time and place.
With certainty, we want to assure you that we are a safe place to receive care. It’s very important that you do not delay receiving important medical care just because we have COVID positive patients in our facility. Our caregivers are working tirelessly to ensure safe, protective, and compassionate care is ready and available for anyone who needs it.
Quick side note: The vast majority of hospitalizations within our collective facilities are NOT COVID-19 positive. Those that are positive, are appropriately isolated, and cared for with all the proper precautions to significantly reduce the risk of spread.
For a full list of COVID-19 updates, including testing information and visitor policies, visit our website at www.mymlc.com.
Please continue taking care of yourself and each other by washing your hands, wearing a mask and social distancing. We recognize the hardships this pandemic has created socially, emotionally and economically, but we ask you to stay diligent as we all work together to protect our friends, families and neighbors.
Thank you for all your efforts to keep our communities safe.
Editor’s Note
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