By Ted Shaw, President/CEO, Texas Hospital Association
Texas hospitals share a mission to protect the health of Texas. When challenges arise, health care providers and public health officials must be strong partners and work together. COVID-19 is a significant challenge for Texas, and we must remain diligent, informed and collaborative.
Health officials agree that more cases are expected to be confirmed in the United States. While it’s impossible to predict exactly how the disease will spread here, everyone in health care should reexamine their preparedness plans and prepare for the possibility of caring for patients with COVID-19. In addition, we must continue to reinforce key messages, reminding patients and the public to be diligent about washing their hands, covering their mouths and following other standard practices for staying healthy.
Preparedness, strong hygiene practices and collaboration will be key to carrying us through this outbreak. Health officials are taking aggressive efforts to contain the spread and reduce the impact the disease may have in Texas and the rest of the U.S., but the situation is likely to worsen before it gets better.
In situations of this magnitude and seriousness, clear, reliable communication is critical. The Texas Hospital Association is in ongoing communication with the Texas Department of State Health Services and amplifying the most important updates and resources through member alerts. We are actively talking to our partners about the current state of the illness in Texas, infection control protocols, preparedness measures and personal protective equipment. We are working closely with state and federal lawmakers to make sure they are well aware of the needs of hospitals, including issues related to diminishing personal protective equipment and the need for testing capabilities and public education.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been actively engaged in the response, calling for all agencies to work together and coordinate closely with regulatory agencies and key stakeholders, including THA. Questions are being raised about the possibilities of regulatory waivers, bed allocations, workforce shortages, dwindling supplies, federal funding and impacts on the rural health care infrastructure. We must work together, share information and continue to plan ahead for potential challenges.
For the latest guidance specific to health care professionals, we encourage everyone to stay familiar with CDC’s guidance as well as additional resources from TDSHS specific to Texas. Health care guidance, algorithms for testing and resource information are quickly changing given the evolving situation. Health care professionals are urged to steer patients and colleagues toward credible sources of information for the most reliable details to help minimize unnecessary panic or concern.
Hospitals and medical professionals are leaders in communities across Texas. We are facing a significant challenge with COVID-19 during a time when our focus needs to be on ensuring the financial, regulatory and political outlook for health care.
Hospitals must demonstrate certainty in a time that many patients may feel uncertainty and fears about COVID-19. I encourage all Texas hospitals to take aggressive steps to be ready and use the resources provided by TDSHS and the CDC.