Hoag Hospital is well-equipped to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with other conditions, said Senior Vice President and Chief Hospital Operations Officer Marcy Brown.
Hoag was one of the first hospitals to treat a known COVID-19 patient in California this past January, and since that first patient, their command center has “meticulously tracked” the number of available beds, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), pharmaceuticals and more on a daily basis, Brown said.
“Hoag’s readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic also includes daily communication with OCHCA authorities in order to stay abreast of rapidly evolving best practices. This guidance allows us to ensure that we are keeping our patients and our health care workers safe as we face this challenge,” Brown said. “Hoag was one of the hospitals selected as a clinical trial site for Remdesivir, a possible therapeutic option for COVID-19. We were also among the first hospitals to use convalescent plasma in critically ill COVID-19 patients.”
Orange County’s case numbers have been lower than Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside, with one of the reasons cited by Brown being the community adhering to the state’s shelter-at-home measures.
Only 2% of Hoag’s hospital beds and 2% of their ventilators are in use for COVID patients, and they reportedly have enough supplies and personal protective equipment to care for the community and assist other nonprofit and civic organizations as well.
“As we continue to provide top-tier care for our COVID-19 patients, we cannot emphasize enough that Hoag’s facilities are safe and well-prepared to provide exceptional care for all patients,” Brown said. “It is critical that anyone experiencing potentially life-threatening medical conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks, seek emergency care immediately.”
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