Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Labor Day is our federal holiday instituted to recognize the accomplishments of United States workers.  It first became a holiday in 1894. It seems fitting this Labor Day to give a shout out to all health care workers around the world who have diligently focused on caring for COVID-19 patients and limiting the effects of the pandemic. Thank you to each and every team member at Stormont Vail Health and those throughout our communities. I hope you are able to safely enjoy the holiday weekend.

Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending to keep you and your family safe over the holiday weekend:

• If you are fully vaccinated and you travel, take precautions such as wearing a facemask.
• If you are unvaccinated, don’t travel.
• If you are unvaccinated and must travel – get tested 1-3 days before travel; then get tested 3-5 days after travel and self-quarantine for 7 days. If you don’t get tested, self-quarantine for 10 days. Monitor for symptoms. Wear a mask and take precautions during travel.

The vaccines are safe and effective. Please consider getting one if you haven’t already.

Here are today’s updates:

• Patient Volumes Remain High
• Stormont Vail Ranked “Best Employer”
• COVID-19 Scorecard (English | Spanish)
• COVID-19 Vaccines

Patient Volumes Remain High

We continue to have difficulty accepting patients needing transfer from other hospitals. We accepted six patients yesterday and were unable to accept 20. The majority of the requests came from Kansas facilities and two from Missouri.

Like other hospitals in the region, the increase of COVID-19 patients who need care, in addition to the regular medical and surgical issues of patients is taxing hospitals. Health care organizations are experiencing clinical staffing shortages. Staffing needs are primarily in nursing roles.

In our Emergency Department this morning we had 13 patients waiting for inpatient rooms from overnight – five of those were COVID-19 positive and two needed ICU level care. The ED went on diversion for ambulances last evening and remains on diversion this morning. The ED remains open during diversion. We also continue to accept all traumas.

Stormont Vail Ranked “Best Employer”

Stormont Vail Health was listed as one of the best employers in Kansas by Forbes magazine. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to survey 80,000 Americans working at businesses with more than 500 employees. Respondents rated their employers on a factors such as compensation, advancement opportunities, safety in the workplace and openness to telecommuting.

COVID-19 Scorecard

Here’s a look at today’s COVID-19 scorecard:

• We have 59 inpatients who are COVID-19 positive. The percentage of hospital patients who are unvaccinated is 86%. Vaccinated is defined as fully vaccinated individuals for greater than 14 days since the last immunization.
• From the previous day – COVID-19 inpatient discharges: 4. Deaths: 0.
• We have 97 COVID-19 positive patients in the outpatient Enhanced Primary Care program.
• The percentage of patients testing positive for COVID-19 at Stormont Vail facilities the past seven days is 16.7% percent. The percent of positive cases who are unvaccinated is 76%.

COVID-19 Vaccines

• We have administered 88,244 vaccinations, which includes first and second doses of the vaccine.
• All Kansans age 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccines are available through the Stormont Vail Retail Pharmacy, 2252 S.W. 10^th
• To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment:
  • Go through your Stormont Vail MyChart
  • Use the online scheduling assistant at stormontvail.org/covid19/vaccine
  • Call (785) 270-4786.
• Walk-ins are welcome from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

With Monday as the Labor Day holiday, the “We Together” communication will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 7. Have a safe and healthy Labor Day weekend.

We together,
Dr. K