As the COVID-19 outbreak sweeps across the United States, rural areas are at risk of getting hit hard by the pandemic.

Augusta University Health has expanded its capacity for COVID-19 testing and is now acting as a reference lab to provide medical centers in rural Georgia and South Carolina with accurate results more timely.

“We know that having more timely COVID-19 test results, allows for hospitals to take better care of all of our patients while protecting our staff and preserving personal protective equipment (PPE),”  said AU Health CEO Katrina Keefer. “We are blessed to have the testing capacity here so that we may support limiting the spread of the virus in local communities by more quickly identifying and isolating infected patients and health care workers.”

The specimens are delivered to the AU Health lab, and results are turned around within two days, often sooner.

Jefferson Hospital and Emanuel Medical Center are among the first rural medical centers to utilize AU Health’s COVID-19 testing services. Jefferson Hospital sent in their first samples on March 29, and AU Health was able to test and confirm three positive COVID-19 cases on the same day. Jefferson Hospital CEO Wendy Martin said the service AU Health provides is beneficial to their facility because they often have to wait nearly two weeks to get results when using a third-party company.

“Hospitals are facing challenging times during this outbreak, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work with AU Health in getting quick test results for our patients” said Martin. “Rural Hospitals often struggle with limited staffing and resources. These quick test results will allow us to ensure the utmost safety of our staff, patients, and community.”

Medical centers and businesses interested in learning more about this service should contact Jennifer Miller, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for AU Health, at jemiller2@augusta.edu.

Visit our resource page for additional updates and information on COVID-19.

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(Atlanta, GA) – The Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals (GACH) today released the following statement from Monty Veazy, spokesman of GACH’s “Georgia Alliance for Community Hospitals” initiative, after Governor Brian Kemp’s announcement to increase coronavirus testing in the state of Georgia:

“I first wish to extend my gratitude to the hospital workers who are battling this pandemic on the front lines and are seeing first-hand the devastation of this virus. I further want to thank Governor Kemp and the Coronavirus Task Force members for taking actionable steps towards addressing the coronavirus crisis and working with our health experts to better understand the threat our patients and hospital workers face every day. The equipment being supplied to increase testing will help our hospitals gain a clearer picture of the spread of the virus, thus giving them better insight to more adequately prepare for any influx of coronavirus patients while still being able to treat and care for those with other medical emergencies.    

“With Georgia having one of the highest uninsured and underinsured rates in the country, our community hospitals serve as a literal lifeline for hundreds of thousands of residents. It is mission critical that they continue to be able to care for their patients, especially during these unpresented times.

I recognize and appreciate Governor Kemp’s and the Task Force’s commitment to bringing an end to this pandemic as soon as possible.”

To learn more, visit www.supportmycommunityhospital.com.

Contain the Strain with Smart Care 24/7

Jesup, GA – With the global spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), social distancing has become an important tool to stop the spread of the virus. In order to make screenings more accessible to our community, Wayne Memorial/St. Joseph’s/Candler Medical Group is offering a virtual option for those with respiratory symptoms seeking evaluation and peace of mind. Smart Care 24/7 provides online medical visits without the crowded waiting room. People may call 888-319-6252, visit smartcare247.com or download the Smart Care 24/7 app for additional information. Promo code SJCCOVID19 is required to receive the special discounted pricing of $20 for these screenings.

These virtual screenings remotely connect patients to board-certified health professionals, thereby avoiding exposure to germs. Consultations are conducted via computer, smart phone or other smart device. Registration is quick and easy with no insurance required. These screenings, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offer non-emergent medical assessments of cold and flu, coronavirus, aches, pains, sore throats and numerous other illnesses. Regular visits are $49, but with the promo code, patients receive the screening for $20.

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On Monday, March 30, at 8 a.m., Southeast Georgia Health System will begin screening patients for coronavirus symptoms through a free COVID-19 Screening Hotline, 912-466-7222.  The Hotline will be staffed with Health System nurses and advanced practice providers and will offer immediate access to Southeast Georgia Physician Associates health care providers, if needed. Patients who meet the criteria for an in-person coronavirus screening will be given an appointment and instructions for a virtual or in-person physical exam and, if warranted, instructions for testing. Initially, the Hotline will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are plans to expand hours and add weekend coverage as demand requires.

The primary symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. More advanced symptoms requiring immediate medical attention include difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, sudden confusion or inability to arouse and bluish lips or face. Elderly people and anyone with severe heart or lung disease or diabetes appear to have a higher risk for developing more serious complications from coronavirus.

“Health experts around the world know that containment is our best course of action to curb the spread of coronavirus. For this reason, Southeast Georgia Health System rapidly mobilized resources to roll out a screening hotline that will address public concerns and help local medical providers identify who needs testing, who can quarantine at home and who needs immediate medical attention. The hotline is just one of many efforts the Health System is taking to protect our community,” says Daniel L. Miller, M.D., board-certified emergency medicine physician at Glynn Immediate Care Center and member of the Southeast Georgia Health System Brunswick Campus medical staff.

To make the hotline available to those who truly need it, Health System officials are urging the public to call only if they or a loved one experience symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

If you experience COVID-19 symptoms, call the Screening Hotline, 912-466-7222, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For COVID-19 updates, visit sghs.org or cdc.gov.

About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife^® M6 Program in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. For more information, visit sghs.org.

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Seeing a doctor without leaving the comfort of your home is convenient any time of year. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it’s absolutely vital to public health and safety. “Our goal is to give patients access to care as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine helps us achieve that goal,” says Adam Brown, CMPE, director of Physician Practices at Southeast Georgia Physician Associates.

Similar to Skype or FaceTime, a telemedicine video call allows health care providers to see and speak to a patient outside of the doctor’s office. The Health System uses the Doxy.me telehealth system. To participate, a patient must have a good WiFi signal and access to a computer, smartphone or tablet with a camera and microphone.

“While not all medical specialties are able to use telemedicine, many routine sick, follow-up and well visits can be conducted this way. We are increasing our telemedicine capabilities and using this technology as much as possible during this pandemic. Our telehealth system is invaluable to help us contain the spread of coronavirus and protect our community,” Brown explains.

The Health System first began using telemedicine in 2015, in partnership with the Coastal Community Health network which includes Baptist Health in Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital.

Other than having a virtual instead of an in person appointment, the interaction between provider and patient remains the same. The Health System adheres to strict protocols to protect patient privacy during video calls, and health care providers document issues discussed during the video visit just as they would during a regular office visit. Typically, the cost of a video or telehealth visit is the same as an in-person visit. Some insurance companies are waiving co-payments and co-insurance for telehealth visits during the coronavirus outbreak. Patients may still receive a bill for any balance due from their appointment.

Older adults are especially vulnerable to coronavirus but may not have the necessary technology or knowledge to use telemedicine. “We urge family, friends and neighbors to offer a helping hand to older adults at this time. Our close-knit community always comes together during difficult times and coronavirus is no exception,” Brown says.

To find out if your medical or health issue can be addressed with a telemedicine video call, please contact your health care provider.

About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, three immediate care centers, five family medicine centers and numerous employed physician practices. The Health System has multiple outpatient specialty care centers, including the only CyberKnife^® M6 Program in Georgia, and a Cancer Care Center accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. For more information, visit sghs.org.

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ATLANTA – Do I have COVID-19? Emory doctors have helped create a new online tool allowing people everywhere to assess how likely it is that they have contracted the novel coronavirus.

C19check.com makes it easy for the general public to self-triage and is designed, in part, to prevent a surge of patients at hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The free tool was designed by Vital software with guidance from Emory Department of Emergency Medicine‘s Health DesignED Center and the Emory Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response.

The site is for educational purposes and not a replacement for a healthcare provider evaluation.

“We’re all fighting, in ways big and small, to keep our loved ones out of harm’s reach. But the anxiety and uncertainty around the best way to do that can result in crowded emergency departments that will have difficulty managing the surge,” says  Justin Schrager, emergency medicine physician at Emory University Hospital and co-founder of Vital. “Our goal with C19check.com is to prevent that from happening, while also making it super simple for people to understand and follow CDC guidelines.”

C19check.com acts as an easy way to digest expert information and choose the best plan of action. Based on the answers to questions about signs and symptoms, age and other medical problems, a person is directed to guidance based on CDC guidelines and is placed into one of three categories:

• high risk (needs immediate medical attention),
• intermediate risk (can contact their doctor for guidance about how to best manage their illness),
• low risk (can most likely administer self-care or recover at home).

In any case, the person is never dissuaded from seeking professional medical advice or contacting their healthcare provider for more guidance.

“Doctors know that crowded waiting rooms could make the problem worse because people sick with Covid-19 could infect others, speeding the overall rate of infection,” says  Dr. Alex Isakov, executive director of Emory University Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, and co-author of the SORT algorithm. “Keeping stress off the system and limiting exposure for at-risk populations is going to be key to managing the community spread of COVID-19.”

The site is live and will be available for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. It was built as a public service and is completely free. It is available on any computer, and can be used by medical professionals or lay people. It collects no personal information. It makes the company no money. Users can opt to share a zip code to contribute to research tracking the geographic spread and eventual recovery from the pandemic.

“We designed this tool as a way for the public to have something user friendly and evidence based to assess their risk and help guide them to the necessary next steps,” says Dr. Anna Quay Yaffee, assistant professor of emergency medicine and director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine Section at Emory University School of Medicine. “We want people who are low risk to have some cautious reassurance, and those who are at higher risk to know how to seek care and get more information.”

“The goal of this tool is to empower individuals, to better understand CDC guidance, and help to inform them about whether they should stay at home, seek medical care or go to the hospital,” says Dr. David Wright, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. “We understand the public is concerned about the pandemic, about their signs and symptoms. They want guidance and we built this as a resource to help guide their actions, with easy to use, accessible information.”

About C19check.com

The site, built at Emory’s Health DesignED Center with Dr. Alex Isakov, executive director of Emory CEPAR, and co-author of the SORT algorithm; and Dr. David Wright, chair of the Emory Emergency Department; Dr. Anna Quay Yaffee, assistant professor of emergency medicine and director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine Section at Emory University School of Medicine; and Dr. Justin Schrager, emergency medicine physician at Emory University Hospital. It is powered by Vital, launched last year to help offset the already overloaded work of Emergency Departments. Founded by Dr. Justin Schrager and Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com. With the rise of COVID-19, Justin and Aaron foresaw an overload of ERs worldwide, sought a tool to help patients better self-triage before burdening hospitals, and found none.  They diverted all of Vital’s resources into building C19check.com, tapped world-renowned clinical experts to help, and hope that the tool will both help alleviate the mounting burden on the global healthcare system, and aid researchers in tracking the spread and evolution of the pandemic over time.

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As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread in our communities, St. Mary’s remains committed to implementing the latest state and national guidelines to protect patients, colleagues and the community, including tighter visitation and delivery policies.

Here are key updates:

• To protect our patients, colleagues and providers, St. Mary’s has further restricted visitation at all three of our hospitals. No visitors are allowed except in certain circumstances, such as if the patient is receiving end-of-life care, delivering a baby, is a child in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or has special needs. Visitors must be at least 18 years of age and will be screened for signs of illness at entry.
• In an effort to minimize outside visitors and products coming into our facility, we must respectfully decline unsolicited deliveries of food, flowers, and gifts at this time.  However, we are very appreciative of the outpouring of support from people and business for our staff during these difficult times.
• Safety is a Core Value for Trinity Health and St. Mary’s, and we are deeply committed to providing the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all of our colleagues. We continue to work daily with suppliers worldwide and with government agencies to secure additional PPE. To be good stewards of our resources, we purposefully ordered reusable PPE, including shields and gowns, to avoid some of the supply issues being faced across our country and the world. We use PPE according to CDC guidelines.
• While we cannot accept donations of food and gifts at this time, donations of funds and certain products, such as new and unused PPE, are much needed. St. Mary’s Foundation welcomes your donations. Please contact our Foundation at Foundation@stmarysathens.org.
• Mary’s Gift Shop remains open to colleagues and approved visitors. In addition, the Gift Shop can accept telephone orders for flower deliveries to patients or staff. Please call 706.389.2548 for details. The gift shops at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart and Good Samaritan Hospitals are closed.
• To protect the health and safety of our volunteers, many of whom are at elevated risk from COVID-19, St. Mary’s has suspended all volunteer services until further notice.
• In conjunction with our medical staff and in accordance with guidance from the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we are postponing non-essential surgeries and certain radiology procedures. However, we continue to schedule and perform essential procedures when a delay would harm the patient, for example, if a patient needs immediate surgery for cancer.
• Because severe COVID-19 infections attack and damage the lungs, St. Mary’s is joining with all of Trinity Health in urging people who smoke or vape to quit. Smoking and vaping are known to damage delicate tissues in the lungs and bronchial system and can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. This damage can put people who smoke and vape at heightened risk for serious complications, including pneumonia. For information, please call our certified Freedom from Smoking facilitator, Todd Drake, at 706.389.2915.
• To protect our vulnerable patients, we have temporarily suspended our Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation classes at St. Mary’s Hospital. All support groups and perinatal classes are also suspended through at least April 30, and our Wellness Centers in Athens and Lavonia are temporarily closed and staff have been redeployed. The cafeterias at our hospitals remain open for colleagues and approved visitors, but are closed to the general public until further notice.

We continue to urge everyone to follow CDC guidelines and take precautions to protect themselves and their families:

• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Don’t shake hands or hug when greeting others.
• Keep social distance of six feet or more.
• Shelter in place except for essential trips (work, grocery shopping, visiting the doctor) or exercise.
• If sick, stay home except to receive medical care.

These measures are essential for slowing the spread of COVID-19 and reducing the risk of surges that might exceed the capacity of the health care system.

For about 80 percent of people, COVID-19 infections are mild to moderate. For these people, treatment is the same whether the patient is tested or not: rest, drink plenty of fluids, and self-isolate. However, for about 20 percent of people, COVID-19 can cause serious illness, including dangerously high fever, difficulty breathing, or death. Anyone with serious symptoms should seek emergency care immediately and call ahead so that staff can be prepared to receive you safely.

We realize these measures are painful but they are essential to protecting the health and safety of our patients, colleagues, providers and community. Thank you for following state and local measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are monitoring guidance continually and implementing new measures as they are recommended. We appreciate the support of everyone in the communities we serve.

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SGMC Clinics Expand Telemedicine

In an effort to limit potential unnecessary COVID-19 exposures, South Georgia Medical Center clinics are expanding the use of telemedicine as an alternative to traditional appointments.

Telemedicine involves the use of electronic communications through devices, such as cell phones, tablets and computers, to provide clinical services to patients without an in-person visit.

According to SGMC Family Medicine physician Dr. Kyle Adams, telemedicine is especially beneficial for patients at the highest risk for complications from COVID-19. 

The Centers for Disease Control says this would include older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions.

Right now SGMC clinics will use this option for current patients who prefer this method. While it doesn’t replace a full comprehensive office visit, it is a great option for individuals needing to get prescriptions refilled or basic followup screenings.

Patients should reach out to their physician prior to any scheduled appointments to see if this option is available. 

SGMC participating clinics include:

• SGMC Cardiology
• SGMC CardioVascular Institute
• SGMC Diabetes Management Center
• SGMC Family Medicine at North Valdosta, Valdosta and Lakeland
• SGMC General Surgery
• SGMC Health Care South
• SGMC Urology

For more information visit sgmc.org.

As we monitor the COVID-19 crisis, community hospitals will continue to do what they do best – put you and your healthcare needs first