CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – MUSC’s Monday update detailed steps being taken to reduce the financial hit that MUSC is taking due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include: transitioning 80% of ambulatory/outpatient visits to telehealth, reducing purchased and contractual services, reducing supply utilization to match volume and critical needs, delaying capital expenditures, and significant workforce adjustments.

WORKFORCE ADJUSTMENTS (statewide):

As elective surgeries have been put on hold, MUSC has seen significant financial damage. To mitigate the impacts, MUSC announced that they will be re-aligning the workforce “to sustain essential services with compensation reduction and temporary layoffs.”

Every member of the MUSC health team will be impacted: leaders will see a 20% pay-cut and salaried employees will see a 15% pay-cut.

Hourly employees who are not direct patient caregivers will see significantly reduced hours.

MUSC is planning on temporarily laying off around 900 health care team members across the state.

It is important to note that “frontline health care team members who have already seen fewer work hours due to COVID-19 response will not see any additional pay cuts.”

STATS:

As of Monday, 41 members of the healthcare workforce have tested positive for COVID-19. MUSC said “it is clear in may cases that our care team members who tested positive…acquired from community and travel transmission. Many of the team members “have fared well and recovered quickly.”

MUSC described the COVID-19 return to work policy as “very conservative.” Members are not allowed to come to work if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, “or if they have not completed the testing process when known to have a high-risk exposure in or outside of work.”

Patients who may have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive staff member are notified according to internal notification and tracing protocols.

MUSC has seen around 4,500 patients at the West Ashley specimen collection site and completed 4,791 COVID-19 tests.

In addition to the 41 healthcare workers, there are currently 3 inpatient cases and 292 outpatient cases of COVID-19 identified by MUSC.

SUPPLIES:

MUSC’s supply status is currently still “green,” meaning they are not out of any necessary items at the moment.

In anticipation of a surge in COVID-19 patients, they are centralizing supply distribution and reducing the overall use of personal protective equipment (PPE) where possible. Healthcare providers have been advised to:

Work expeditiously to transfer non-COVID-19 patients out of airborne infection isolation rooms

Centralize the supply of all PPE items in a secured area.

Clearly identify essential personnel who will be caring for any rule out or confirmed COVID-19 patient and limit entry into the patient room to those essential individuals.

Use face-fitting N95 respirators while in the same room as a rule-out COVID-19 or lab-confirmed COVID-19 patient for most patient care activities (There are some exceptions that are considered safe for care team members.)

Limit the number of individuals in the room when performing high-risk aerosol generating

procedures.

Use face-fitting N95 respirators while in the same room as a rule-out COVID-19 or lab-confirmed COVID-19 patient.

Not wear face-fitting N95 respirators while in hospital common areas that are not related to patient care activity.

Use surgical/isolation face masks when experiencing minor respiratory symptoms attributable to non-infectious causes (ex- mild nasal congestion consistent with personal allergic history).

Care team members may now wear surgical/isolation face masks while in common areas of the hospital.

CAPACITY:

MUSC continues to collaborate with the Army Corps of Engineers an the National Guard to plan a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) style facility. This facility would provide an additional 270 beds to be used for non-critical COVID-19 patients.

MUSC can also use space in the University Hospital Extension and Ashley River Tower for an additional 130 beds.

In house testing capacity is “fully mobilized.” Specimens are no longer being sent to DHEC or private labs. MUSC expects a significant reduction in wait times for test results.

DONATIONS REQUESTED: (MUSC Warehouse 4295 Arco Lane Charleston, SC 29418)