Page 15 - Brunswick Chamber - The Anchor
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Health System




             helps Isles weather COVID storm





                       urviving the storm of the COVID-19
                       pandemic required quick thinking and
                       adaptability, and nowhere was that

            S more evident in the Golden Isles than
             at Southeast Georgia Health System.

               The robust and thriving healthcare network threw all
             its resources at battling the disease, treating ill patients,

             and ensuring its operations remained healthy, so the local
             economy could as well.
               In early 2020, as the nation was not yet fully aware of

             the magnitude of the novel coronavirus threat, the Health
             System’s leadership team and medical staff began developing
             plans to care for a possible increase in patients, particularly
             those experiencing a highly infectious disease and significant
             respiratory stress. By February of 2020, this had become a

             primary focus of the Health System’s leadership.



             Elective surgeries were limited, and healthy
              visitors were kept away from the hospital

                    to prevent spreading infections.



               Preparations ramped up significantly in March with

             renovations to inpatient rooms and emergency facilities to
             ensure isolation capacity and that coronavirus patients could
             be accommodated. Health System leadership participated in

             weekly conference calls with partners to share information
             and collaborate on strategies. Infection Prevention and
             Quality Management teams monitored inpatient and
             outpatient areas to maximize effectiveness. Those steps
             were just the beginning.



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