Hershey Medical Center implements revised COVID-19 patient placement and surge plan
To manage any potential surges in COVID cases in our region in the months ahead without disrupting the care of non-COVID patients, Hershey Medical Center has replaced its original Surge Plan with a revised Patient Placement and Surge Plan.
The plan reflects changes that have resulted from the designation of long-term, dedicated locations for COVID-19 patients at the Medical Center.
“Because we’re now able to maximize areas to care for COVID patients, we can also now maximize other patient care areas for non-COVID patients,” said Abigail Rudy, vice president of critical care nursing at Hershey Medical Center.
The revised plan also provides new guidance for a huddle process intended to help provider teams with cohorting or patient placement needs. It also revises the number of patients that are designated by the five different surge levels — green, yellow, orange, red or maroon.
“This plan is more fluid than the previous version,” said Rudy. “It incorporates both escalation and de-escalation scenarios — what to do if we have more patients and what to do if we have fewer.” That flexibility will allow the medical center to manage any anticipated surges in COVID cases in central Pennsylvania in the months ahead without disrupting the care of non-COVID patients.
The surge plan extends to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, updating and expanding its use of standard rooms for appropriate COVID patients in the Children’s Hospital while maintaining adherence to all CDC guidance and internal policies on isolation precautions.
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