(WSIL) SIH CEO Rex Budde and thousands of his employees have been busy for weeks preparing for and fighting COVID-19.
Right now he's pushing for everyone to listen to a simple message.
"Stay home. The cases we've seen---most of the time have a connection to people who traveled somewhere."
Budde tells News 3 the virus is like nothing he's seen before in his decades in the health care industry.
SIH PREPARATIONS
Three weeks ago SIH established an incident command post. Budde says they've practiced for all kinds of disasters, but each one is different.
They also established centers in outlying areas for patients to get screened without having to travel to the hospitals in Carbondale, Murphysboro, or Herrin.
Budde says since SIH established their , the phone has been constantly ringing.
SIH has also canceled all elective procedures. Budde says that helps preserve personal protective equipment (PPE), but there's also another benefit.
"…is to simply have less people coming into the hospitals. So that if this thing does break big, we've got capacity. We've got room. We've got energy, and we can take care of it," he said.
In the meantime SIH is working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, local heath departments, and other area leaders.
PPE CONCERNS?
"You worry about it. If you've got a big influx of inpatients you could chew up a lot of that stuff in a big hurry. But right now we have adequate supplies to take care of our staff and keep them protected while we care for patients, " Budde said.
SIH just made a new order for PPE that should come in this week, but Budde says the community has also stepped up to help.
"There have been some things that have happened that make you feel good about being a human being. The willingness of people to develop these masks once we deemed we could use them safely," Budde said.
SIH and other local hospitals just got a s from Farmers State Bank and Budde says someone in Herrin has been using a 3D printer to donate shields.
PLANS ARE IN PLACE
Canceling electives has drastically reduced the hospital population for SIH. Normally they serve between 250 and 300 patients. Right now that numbers is around 100.
SIH has the ability to bring in additional beds if needed. They've also got a plan in place to deal with any type of patient they might encounter.
"Inside the hospitals we developed COVID rule out units and also COVID treatment units that are outside of ICUs. We still have patients that are having strokes and heart attacks and things like that. You have to take care of those patients and we're trying to separate those two patient populations," Budde said.
SIH has started taking steps to change how its facilities can handle COVID-19 patients. They've added additional "negative pressure rooms" at Herrin and Carbondale Memorial Hospitals. Right now the plan would be to reserve St. Joe's in Murphysboro for non-COVID patients.
IMPACT ON SIH EMPLOYEES
Budde tells News 3 it has been a stressful time and many people are nervous. But, he says the thousands of SIH employees have been on top of the situation. He says he's proud of them for working hard to maintain their morale and composure.
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW
Rex Budde is asking everyone in the region to stay in contact with their health care providers for the latest updates. He says too many falsehoods are spreading on Facebook.
Budde says the best advice remains to stay home.
"I know the kids are antsy, but you know what, don't have play dates."
Budde is also urging SIU and other college students to avoid gathering for parties. He says no one is invincible or immune to COVID-19.
Budde's best advice? Follow his "kindergarten rules."
- Keep Your Hands to Yourself
- Wash Your Hands
- Cover Your Mouth
"Yeah, its not much fun. I think we'd all like to go to a movie and go to a restaurant and eat a steak, but if we do this hard for a couple of weeks---we can keep this thing from being devastating," Budde said.
