Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital Prepares 'Negative-Pressure Rooms' For Coronavirus Patients
GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - The spread of the coronavirus did not yet creep into Westmoreland County, but the largest hospital in the area wants the public to know: it's prepared.
Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital is using this extra time to continuously clean, prepare negative-pressure rooms and brief the staff.
KDKA's Meghan Schiller went inside the ICU with Kathleen Rosatti, the hospital's Director of Medical Outcomes, Patient Safety and Infection Control, and learned she's meeting with her team every day.
"Multiple times," said Rosatti. "The communication from front line staff up through the C suite, everybody wants to know what's going on, any issues, any barriers that they're encountering."
Cleaning crews are scrubbing, hand-sanitizing stations are popped up along every hallway and the staff calls Rosatti at any hour.
"If there's any questions about patients or somebody that they need to screen for their travel history, we're doing that 24/7 right now."
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The hospital also stocked up on PAPR masks. PAPR stands for "powered air purifying respirator." Rosatti said the staff will wear them while treating potentially contagious patients.
"Any clinician, nurse, cleaning individual, physician. And they can use it for great length," said Rosatti.
KDKA also got an exclusive look inside one of the negative-pressure rooms. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox said they're kept airtight.
"In this building right here, we have 10 rooms," said Dr. Fox. "But there is equipment that you can use to create negative pressure."
The rooms are designed specifically for patients with contagious diseases and until the hospital needs to use them, Dr. Fox said she's encouraging the public to follow this advice:"We have encouraged our community to reach out to their primary care doctor and call."
"Call in advance. Talk about what their concerns are because it may be just a common cold."
There are no cases of coronavirus in Westmoreland County or western Pennsylvania yet.
