KHJ News reported earlier this week about a segment of the Coronavirus Task Force meeting held last Sunday which was edited out of the KVZK-TV broadcast of the meeting aired later that evening.
The part that didn’t make it to air included the presentation by the LBJ Hospital and a discussion between Dr Fred Uhrle, Director of the VA Clinic and member of the Task Force and LBJ CEO Faumuina John Faumuina.
KHJ News sent questions to Dr Uhrle to inquire about the concerns he raised at the meeting.
He said following the presentation by the LBJ Tropical Medical Center CEO, he congratulated them on the preparations so far but indicated that there is a lot yet to be done.
“They have tremendous capability for testing with equipment at DOH and (the) unit soon to be bought online at LBJTMC. They have a 6-bed air conditioned, negative pressure tent and 8 beds in a dedicated wing that will be used for the sickest patients. Additional beds are being added in an annex across the street from the hospital,” he explained.
He pointed out the hospital’s current staffing shortage-nurses and physicians, which has been in the paper and reported by nursing and physicians the day before.
“Should the pandemic arrive, there will be tremendous stress on the staff and likely a problem covering proposed unit across the street,” he commented.
He suggested that the overflow of patients be into the medical and/or pediatrics ward and that the hospital management consider moving non-Covid patients elsewhere in the hospital and stable ones to the annex.
Dr Uhrle continued that the CEO’s report touted the availability of remdesivir and dexamethasone, suggesting that “we were all set.”
“I pointed out that these will be helpful in the armament for fighting the virus however far from a cure. We would need to treat 20+ patients with dexamethasone to save one from dying. LBJTMC physicians had requested hiring 1 or 2 intensivists/critical care specialists to assist the 3 or 4 physicians currently assigned to take care of Covid patients but as reported by staff there’s been no movement on either nursing or physician hire.”
Dr Uhrle had raised at previous meetings the need for wifi for bedside consultations and access to consultants in Hawaii or elsewhere if they could not be hired for the hospital.
He said while this has been discussed in Task Force meetings previously it has not been resolved so far.
Also discussed was the need to automate the laboratory “as mistakes are made almost daily in transcribing and inputting data into the computer.”
“These will all impact patients care and outcomes,” cautioned the VA director.
He told KHJ News there really was not any back and forth discussion, but he was cut off by the Task Force Chairman and advised that this was not the appropriate forum to raise the stated concerns.
Asked what he believes the hospital needs to address or put in place for COVID-19 patients that it doesn’t have now Dr Uhrle responded, “The need to sit down with them and listen to their concerns.”
