Based on the anticipated surge of patients who test positive for COVID-19 and require intensive care, Columbus Regional Health recognized the need to adapt other patient care areas in the hospital to meet the airflow room requirements for these patients.

Today, we are prepared to care for patients in our existing ICU but have also transformed other patient care areas into expanded ICUs with negative airflow spaces.  A negative airflow space pulls air from the environment and exhausts it to the outside. This type of room is usually used for patients who have Tuberculosis.

Our ICU, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, and Outpatient Surgery areas have all been converted to negative airflow and are ready for patient placement when needed. We have the ability to place 12 patients in PACU. Outpatient Surgery has 19 individual patient rooms to support these patients.  Additionally, for those patients who are COVID-19-positive or suspected COVID-19-positive who don’t require the level of care in the ICU, our Outpatient Cath Lab area has been converted into a nine-bed negative airflow space to serve them.

These changes required the collaboration of multiple departments, including Facilities Engineering, Nursing, Operations, and Information Services. “There has been a huge amount of teamwork involved in operationalizing these units. From the staff that call these units home to the IT resources building out the documentation for the overflow units to the front line nurses being able to adapt to the ever changing circumstances, the teamwork has been amazing,” said Command Center and Inpatient Operations Director Adam Spartz.

“Facilities staff made changes to the mechanical control systems to adjust the amount of air that is entering or exiting the space,” said Director of System Facilities Planning and Materials Management David Lenart. “The modification is to make more spaces that exhaust air directly to the outside.” With the change, the only way you would be able to tell that the room is negative airflow is to place a tissue at the bottom of a closed door. It will be pulled into the room. Otherwise, the room looks the same.

Information Services was involved building and testing these new surge units into our Electronic Medical Record, completing the work in three days.  “As the Project Manager for this initiative, I’m quite proud of this accomplishment and my team will continue to support the health system in the future as needed to assist with the pandemic,” said Information Services Project Manager Ryan Evans.

Added Adam Spartz: “We all hope we don’t have to utilize any of these spaces, however, we are prepared as healthcare providers to deliver on the expectations we and the community have for CRH.”

Employee Relief Fund

Columbus Regional Health appreciates our dedicated workforce members serving every day to make our patients and community a priority. Their dedication, passion and commitment to their profession often come before personal obligations.

Times of uncertainty and stress are challenging in many ways, which is why Columbus Regional Health Foundation has created the CRH Employee Relief Fund to assist eligible CRH employees who are experiencing financial barriers caused by this life-altering crisis, including expenses such as basic housing, transportation, or childcare needs.

To support CRH employees, text crhrelief to 202-858-1233 or visit the link below.

Donate