Equipment ( PPE ) is imperative for staff who visit patients daily — because even if patients are not COVID-19 positive , staff must wear PPE for patients ’ protection and their own — supplies were inventoried and secured in a locked office with limited access , and additional PPE was ordered . Unfortunately , like other health care providers across the nation , PHHI ’ s greatest COVID-19 obstacle has been securing PPE from its suppliers .
Maintaining Health Care at Home During COVID-19
Panhandle Home Health Incorporated ( PHHI )— a private , freestanding , nonprofit , Medicare-certified organization — began serving the home health needs of Berkeley , Morgan , and Jefferson County residents on April 1 , 1976 , with nine staff members . Today , PHHI ’ s staff of 60-plus provides crisis health services to approximately 1,400 patients of various ages each year .
Home has always been a patient ’ s preferred place to rest , recover , and rehabilitate , and in the COVID-19 environment , the safety home provides has never been more evident or important . To maintain patients ’ confidence and minimize their anxiety as the pandemic unfolded , PHHI determined it was critical to institute stringent infection control procedures . PHHI ’ s strategy in response to the pandemic reflects its commitment to developing and improving processes that ensure the provision of exceptional in-home services now and well into the future .
• Policies were updated to address a pandemic environment , explicitly COVID-19 .
• PHHI ’ s Infection Control Coordinator posted COVID-19 information about handwashing techniques and social distancing and provided educational flyers to staff , in addition to written information .
• Office staff undergo daily temperature monitoring and are required to wear masks outside their offices , in common facility areas , to limit exposure .
• PHHI ’ s facility has been closed to external traffic , and its interior surfaces and doors are cleaned every three hours . Access is limited to 18 people at one time ( 2.5 people per 1,000 square feet of office space ), per Governor Jim Justice ’ s executive order . Field staff have limited access to the building .
• Zoom and teleconference meetings have replaced traditional staff and leadership gatherings .
• Clinical staff don face shields and masks , disinfect equipment , and frequently wash hands in rigorous adherence to Centers for Disease Control recommendations on patient care .
PHHI took quick action to address the threats presented by COVID-19 . At the end of January , knowing that Personal Protective
The community has graciously responded to PHHI ’ s critical need by donating cloth masks they have crafted for office staff . This enables PPE to be conserved for use by field staff who have direct patient contact . Shepherd University has provided face shields produced via its 3D printer . Additionally , PHHI has been participating in Berkeley Medical Center ’ s mask sanitizing process . As PHHI ’ s Infection Control Coordinator observes : “ I ’ m so impressed with the community leaders on local emergency preparedness committees and how helpful they have been . Everyone has pulled together for the good of the community .”
Still , despite its own and the community ’ s efforts , PPE continues to trouble PHHI . Supplies are still limited , costs mount , and no one knows when COVID-19 will be defeated . Between February and April 2020 , because of increased PPE usage , PHHI experienced a budget shortfall of more than $ 7,000 . That deficit grows by $ 2,000 every month .
A common consequence of the COVID-19 environment in which we live is a sense of isolation and malaise . Collaborating to cope may offer an antidote . Individuals and organizations who wish to support PHHI ’ s service to the residents of the Eastern Panhandle are encouraged to visit its website or call to make a monetary contribution to address the PPE challenge . Funds received will be earmarked for the budget shortfall and immediately offset the purchase of additional PPE that is vital to PHHI ’ s mission .
208 Old Mill Road , Martinsburg , WV 25401 ( 304 ) 263-5680 | www . PanhandleHomeHealth . org