Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1344691
A Reflection on 2020 DURING THE COV ID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers around the globe were suddenly faced with an unprec‑ edented challenge. For David Mason, MD, FACEP, Medical Director and Chief of Emergency Services at Crouse Health, 2020 was a chal‑ lenging year. Reflecting on the past 12 months, he is grateful for how the healthcare providers came together to support each other in caring for the community. The staff at Crouse implemented safety protocols long before they were mandated, and there was a significant effort to minimize exposure to other patients, staff and EMS personnel who needed to be in contact with those patients. "We are proud of our relationship with EMS," says Seth Kronenberg, MD, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Crouse Health. "Ever since March, they have been on the frontlines — out in the field with no negative pressure rooms. The work they have done for our community is incredible, and we couldn't be more thankful for the service they provide." The American College of Emergency Physicians was sending dozens of emails each day from physicians across the United States sharing their experiences. Dr. Mason and Crouse leadership assimilated lessons people were sharing from other parts of the country that had already been hit with the pandemic and tried to prepare as best as they could. Telemedicine became invaluable for both providers and patients during 2020. Access to telemedicine exponentially increased in a short time, which helped keep people safe. In coming years, it could mean a long‑term decrease in unplanned Emergency Department (ED) and urgent care visits, which could shift the landscape of urgent and emergent care. "Crouse has done a phenomenal job managing the COVID crisis," says Sarah Jerjen, paramedic with Fayetteville Fire & EMS, Greater Baldwinsville Ambulance Corps and American Medical Response. "They were one of the first hospitals that asked for a pre‑arrival notification for anyone exhibiting COVID‑19 symp‑ toms, and they opened their doors to COVID patients from other city hospitals." The ED is one of the safest places to be during the pan‑ demic, according to Dr. Mason. With stringent infection control practices and visitation policies in place, nothing is more impor tant at Crouse than the safety of patients and staff. Hear t attacks and strokes are time sensitive, so it is critically impor tant for patients to not miss windows for lifesaving care. "Healthcare workers all share a mission, and that is to do the best we can for patients and to help alleviate suffering," Dr. Mason says. "Whether it's this pandemic or the opioid crisis, wherever it is, we'll always be here to suppor t each other and our community." and stroke team. Within moments of a patient receiving a CT scan, the crystal- clear image is available and the team can message each other about the patient's care through HIPAA-compliant software. Image sharing previously took much longer because it required access to a computer. "It's not just the PA and the surgeon communicating," Dr. Padalino says. "It's the PA, the neurosurgeon, the neurologist, the neuro interventional team and the emergency services team. We are all on the same page regarding the patient 's plan of treatment." With stroke care, imaging is a signifi- cant part of finding and removing the clot, so having advanced imaging, perfusion studies and angiograms available for the neurosurgeon at a moment's notice is invaluable. Algorithms within the soft- ware's programming read the images and flag the team if the patient is someone who would benefit from endovascular therapy and stroke rescue. "We still have to train, so we don't rely solely on the AI software," Dr. Padalino says. "Programmers are using a national database of images from those who use this software to train the computer to recognize when it sees a problem that needs immediate intervention." Secure communication has long been pr oblem at ic a mon g pr ov ider s . T he benef it of hav ing a HIPA A-complia nt system in which patient na mes, a ges a nd med ica l record nu mbers ca n be disclosed, is that ever yone involved in the communication can be sure they are referring to the sa me patient, leav ing less room for error. Before, prov iders ha d t o m a ke phone ca l l s or encr y pt their conversations. This platform ha s prov ided t he abi lit y to com municate securely with the tea m, a llowing ever y- one to be on the sa me page while saving va luable time. n To learn more, visit crouse.org. Seth Kronenberg, MD, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Crouse Health M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K ■ 2 0 21 0 9