Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1282067
virus and the population's influence on its spread, sharing that information with the public and, in turn, influencing the public's response. For instance, Upstate public health experts discovered that cell phone data could help predict the virus' spread. Areas where people were on the road more frequently experienced a surge in cases shortly thereafter. Dr. Thomas, who was a frequent com- mentator in the media explains, "The data could be used as a 'stick' and 'carrot.' Based on what was happening in our com- munity I could tell the public, 'You're out too much, and there's a direct association with infections growing' or 'You're doing a great job staying home, and infections are going down.'" Upstate's Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine supplied much of the data and analyses that informed the public, government off icia ls a nd countless areas within Upstate. As part of the College of Medicine, the department consists of epidemiologists, biostatis- ticia ns, data a na lysts, coordinators, community health and social scientists, who continue to provide ongoing reports a nd mon itor i ng. Depa r tment Cha i r Christopher P. Morley, PhD, says the team is helping Upstate create a playbook that can be used for future waves of the coronavirus or another pandemic. For real time updates, faculty members Telisa Stewart, MPH, DrPH, public health, and Kathryn Anderson, MD, PhD, medicine and microbiology, immunology, helped to establish systems with a dedicated internal IMT team to collect, analyze and report infection data to Upstate leadership and Central New York. "Being an academic medical center creates a huge advantage during this time," Dr. Corona says. "We have experts to talk in public forums, answer media questions and meet with large groups, like manufacturing associations and other entities, to talk about how they can keep people safe. Now as more is known about the effects of COVID-19 on patients, we also have experts to address those varying aspects — from pulmonary to neurological to cardiovascular." RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE After more than two months of constant vigilance, Incident Command wound down and was replaced by a month in Recovery Mode, guiding the safe, full reopening of clinical services in late June. Upstate has now transitioned to a phase dubbed "Resilience" by the C-suite. The aim for Resilience is continue to improve by optimizing operations and rapidly adopting innovations using a Tiger Team model. Amy Tucker, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Upstate University Hospital, led the recovery effort, and is now spearhead- ing its Tiger Teams initiative. She explains Ingenuity in a Crisis TE A MS AT UP STATE University Hospital leveraged technological sav- viness to protect staff and improve communications while keeping patients, providers and families in touch. + The chatbot, an AI addition to Upstate's online presence, triaged COVID-19 questions, answering common ones and routing complex issues to live operators. The chatbot was designed to "speak" both English and Spanish. In five months, the chatbot supported 22,758 users. + iPads at the bedside helped patients safely chat with families. Providers, including physicians, nurses and dietitians, also hold consults through the more than 200 iPads now in place throughout the hospital. The tablets also function as a video call bell, saving PPE as some needs can be addressed without entering the patient's room. " Each of our departments is focused on safely handing referrals, being in touch with referring physicians and seeing patients within their comfort zones. Ever y ser vice at Upstate Medical University is open for referral." — ROBERT CORONA, DO, MBA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF UPSTATE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Robert Corona, DO, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Upstate University Hospital, and Stephen Thomas, MD, Division Chief of Infectious Disease and Director of the Institute for Global Health and Translational Sciences, became trusted voices of the pandemic for Central New York. Both doctors gave inter views to local media, including Channel 9 T V. The coronavirus pandemic has made telehealth an integral part of the care plan. 0 8