LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center today discussed the impact the pandemic has had on the medical facility, which treated more than 400 COVID-19 patients from the beginning of March through the beginning of June.
Of those hospitalized patients, 88% finished their course of treatment and were discharged to continue their recuperation, the facility said in a statement.
“We attribute these results to our extensive experience treating complex cases, meticulous care in our ICUs, the use of new and experimental therapies and a manageable volume of COVID-19 patients," said Dr. Richard V. Riggs, senior vice president of Medical Affairs and chief medical officer.
According to Cedars-Sinai, the number of hospitalized patients is higher than at any other hospital in Southern California, and represents 5% of the total number of hospitalized patients cared for at the medical center, which treated more than 10,000 non-COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
Cedars-Sinai achieved these outcomes even though the medical center cares for a disproportionate share of severely ill and older patients who are vulnerable to COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions such as hypertension, renal failure, obesity and cardiac arrhythmias, officials said.
Through the beginning of June, nearly a quarter of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were transferred to Cedars-Sinai from skilled nursing facilities and other acute care hospitals because they required higher levels of specialized care.
Cedars-Sinai is testing all patients for COVID-19 before they undergo inpatient and select outpatient procedures. Since the beginning of March, Cedars-Sinai has administered more than 3,000 pre-procedure tests. Less than 1% of asymptomatic patients have tested positive for the virus.
Additionally, since the beginning of May, Cedars-Sinai has tested all patients admitted to the hospital through the Emergency Department. More than 1,500 of these patients presented with conditions unrelated to COVID-19. Less than 1% tested positive for the virus.
Cedars-Sinai continues to take a number of precautionary measures to ensure safety at its hospitals, offices and outpatient sites, including:
-- performing temperature checks for everyone entering its facilities, including staff before the start of their shifts; -- rapidly identifying and isolating patients with potential COVID-19 to protect patients and staff;
-- requiring masks for all employees, physicians, patients and visitors.
-- physical distancing in waiting and clinical areas;
-- limiting visitors;
-- designating specific zones for COVID-19 patients, separating them from other patients as appropriate;
-- increasing thorough cleaning and disinfection for all common areas and clinical spaces; and
-- minimizing the number of staff and patients in clinical settings to ensure physical distancing, while using telemedicine options, including video visits, to provide care remotely for many medical needs.
As Cedars-Sinai continues to reopen, patients have greater access to surgeries and procedures, in-person appointments at medical offices, video visits and other telehealth options, according to the statement.
“We urge members of the public not to delay important care they need, and we encourage anyone who is sick and in need of medical attention to contact their physician's office. It is safe to visit Cedars-Sinai for care, whether as a patient staying in our hospitals or visiting our outpatient clinics, urgent care centers, emergency rooms or other care settings,''" said Dr. Jeffrey A. Smith, executive vice president of Hospital Operations and chief operating officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
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