Despite an uptick in COVID-19 cases across the country, Sierra Nevada Hospital in Grass Valley, Calif., still has a stable supply of personal protective equipment, The Union reported.
Brian Evans, MD, CEO of Sierra Nevada, which is part of Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, told The Union he is confident in the hospital's ability to handle a potential second wave of COVID-19.
"We’ve gotten better at sourcing different types of supplies; we’ve gotten better at not wasting supplies" he told The Union. "We also have found alternatives like reusable face shields, for example, instead of disposable ones."
In May, CommonSpirit Health also partnered with group purchasing organization Premier to acquire a minority stake in Prestige Ameritech, the largest PPE maker in the U.S.
Dr. Evans told The Union that due to a relatively low volume of COVID-19 patients at Sierra Nevada and the availability of supplies, the hospital has been able to resume elective surgeries.
But, the pandemic is still unpredictable, he said.
"The reality is it’s hard to predict exactly what’s going to happen with supplies in the future depending on what is going on with COVID-19 throughout the country," Dr. Evans told The Union. "I think we need to be very vigilant, not only about making sure we have enough supplies, but making sure we slow the spread and flatten the curve as much as we possibly can."
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