Oct. 8, 2021

COVID-19 update

Our number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients thankfully continued to decline again this week, and is currently at 58 across the system. Of this figure, just 35 are considered infectious, which means that many of the patients may be requiring care for longer term issues as a result of the virus.

National news interest in the region’s COVID status also continued this week. A team from MSNBC visited Springfield and Cox South for an update on where things stand, especially in light of the Delta surge that is now hitting other parts of the country. We are fortunate that at this time we seem to have the worst of this wave behind us. However, we remain vigilant to see how the upcoming respiratory season affects numbers, particularly since far fewer mitigation strategies (such as masking) are in place this year as compared to last.

Our employee COVID vaccination numbers continue to increase as we approach our Oct. 15 deadline. As of yesterday, nearly 92% of employees are in compliance with the policy, which includes vaccinations, exemptions and deferrals. Given the point we are at on the timeline, we appear to be in a similar position as other hospitals whose requirements have already gone into effect. The decision to move to universal vaccination was not done capriciously, and we stick by our decision, which was done based on the belief that we must help keep our patients safe. We are confident that the vast majority of our employees will remain with us after the deadline passes.

New CoxHealth Republic facility opens

This week marked the opening of our brand-new CoxHealth Republic facility, which is located along Highway 60. The new facility combines primary care, walk-in care, physical therapy, as well as lab and radiology services in one place. Thanks to the teams who helped make this a reality, and for more info, click here.

Magnet submission

Years of hard work were reflected in a very special moment last week when we formally submitted our application for Magnet status of our Springfield hospitals. The designation is awarded by the American Nurses' Credentialing Center, and is the highest distinction for a health care organization to recognize its nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes that are under the influence of nursing care. More than 2,500 pages of documentation were submitted as part of our application. Many people were part of completing this effort, but I specifically want to recognize Karen Kramer and Beth Polivka for their work in leading this initiative. We will hear back about the next steps in the process by January.

Most Wired recognition

It was honor this week to receive a Most Wired recognition from CHIME, which reflects how effectively health care organizations and systems apply technology into their clinical and business programs. CoxHealth earned Level 9 – out of 10 – in both acute and ambulatory, putting us in the top 20% of organizations that participated in these categories. This is a win for us, as it reflects a great deal of hard work and dedication from the team.

Voice of the Patient

From inpatient feedback at Cox South: “All of the nurses, nurse assistants and doctors were absolutely wonderful. I had a great hospital experience from the time I got to Labor and Delivery to the time I went home.”

Thank you for all that you do,

Steve

Direct Line from Steve Edwards: 10/8/21