ATLANTA — We’ve heard concerns about face mask shortages, but now that need is real. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is getting harder to find and hospitals say they need to know there’s a reliable supply chain. And they need to know it now.
“Already, we have learned of looming supply shortages at specific hospitals in Georgia," On Thursday Governor Brian Kemp said. "We have taken immediate action, working with federal officials to secure more tests as well as critically needed materials from the national stockpile.”
On the request list, 100,095 face masks, 10 pallets of medical face shields, 10,000 pairs of gloves, 25,000 gowns, 26,000 shoe covers and 1,000 goggles.
We checked in with our local hospital systems. Most say, for now, they have supplies, but the Phoebe Health System in southwest Georgia knows how quickly those supplies can go in a surge situation. Volunteers are now making covers for their N95 masks to help them last longer.
As of Friday at noon, Phoebe reported 57 positive COVID-19 cases and 540 people waiting on test results taken at its Putney Memorial Hospital and two medical centers.
Kelly Ladd, CEO of Piedmont Internal Medicine Association said there’s even a shortage of the plastic sleeves that go over thermometers so that they can be reused.
“Unfortunately, right now, we’re not able to secure any type of delivery date,” she said.
Ladd said her two offices in metro Atlanta typically only need items like face shields and masks when treating someone with a serious infectious illness like COVID-19. That’s why, to conserve limited resources, they’re trying to streamline the process.
Ladd said her primary care offices are only seeing patients for routine exams and physicals. The 11 doctors in the practice are using telemedicine to treat those with COVID-like symptoms. Those that need a test are referred to a testing site so that their PPE stockpile can remain untouched.
Her practice has even started reaching out to those with scheduled appointments to make sure they’re healthy enough to come in.
“We have a list of questions that we’re asking them as well as any caregiver that may be with them," Ladd said.
This week, as the new system was put in place, a few ill patients snuck through. On Monday, she had 50 sets of PPE. On Friday, the number was 47.
If everyone starts following the rules, she can donate some of her supplies to those at area hospitals in need.
“Please do not come into the office if you have any type of symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath because then you’re contaminating other people,” Ladd said.
Emory’s Department of Emergency Medicine and Office of Critical Event Preparedness & Response launched a new website to help people self-triage and determine if they needed to get medical help. The goal of C19check is to keep people out of the hospitals and doctor’s offices that don’t need to be there, while also providing patients peace of mind. The service is free and collects no personal information.
A lot of PPE is made in China, but 3M does produce N95 respirators in the U.S. This week it announced it had doubled production to manufacture 100 million masks per month globally and is still trying to ramp up production another 30 percent.
There is also a national stockpile of supplies that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it's going to pass out to various groups. The first round will go to states that ask and amounts will be based on population. The second batch is for states that see a surge in cases, with the remaining inventory will be kept for the future.
Ladd said she has other concerns. As doctors lean on telemedicine to stop the spread of COVID-19, she wants assurances that insurance companies will reimburse them at a fair rate. She said those reimbursements need to come quickly, along with government grants or loans for offices that have to buy unexpected supplies.
“If we can’t keep our doors open, if we can’t keep our physicians paid, our nurses paid, our medical assistants paid – the necessary administrative people paid and have the ability to get in the supplies that we need, we can’t keep the doors open," Ladd said.
Still, when asked what Ladd felt medical professionals throughout the state need most now, the suggestions were more qualities than material and supplies.
“I think a lot of patience, understanding, collaboration,” she said.
