Keeping You and Our Patients Safe

During this unprecedented time, I want all our Stony Brook Medicine staff and faculty to know that we are doing everything possible to keep you safe, to keep our patients safe and to stay ahead of the curve (and flatten it!), using every creative and innovative method at our disposal.

We are working directly with our state and county governments and with our own suppliers on a daily and hourly basis to assure we have the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing supplies that we need to properly protect you and our patients. We are also working with our own University researchers to develop new methods of properly disinfecting PPE so it can be reused.

We performed our first successful in-house coronavirus tests last week and we are in the process of validating our equipment and seeking additional supplies so we can offer testing on site for quicker coronavirus test results.

Last week, we worked collaboratively with New York State and other partner agencies to start a drive-through testing site at Stony Brook University’s P Lot. We also created a “forward triage” site at the Ambulatory Care Pavilion, which is being relocated to the P Lot this week, to place together patients who are experiencing cold, flu-like and respiratory symptoms for safe, effective and efficient evaluation of potential coronavirus patients away from the Emergency Department.

We are also developing surge capacity plans to increase our ICU capacity by using non-traditional locations and working with the State of New York for plans to open a separate hospital on the Stony Brook University campus if additional bed capacity is needed. We have started creating powerplans and order sets in preparation for the patient surge, which are in alignment with the latest evidence-based clinical guidelines provided by professional critical care societies.

Medical supplies are an international issue; not a Stony Brook issue. We have been resourceful, creative and innovative in working against the clock to address our needs, including the development of a face shield alternative by SBU researchers and working to become a beta test site for producing disinfectant to clean face shields.Stony Brook University’s iCREATE lab deployed its resources to manufacture face shields through the use of its 3-D printers. Additionally, the lab has designed certain parts of these face shields to be replaceable so that medical personnel can change them out, allowing for a more sanitized product. With current supplies, iCREATE intends to make 800 face shields and is in the process of procuring enough supplies to make up to 5,000 products.

We have also formed teams to focus on medical/clinical guidelines using evidence-based literature produced by colleagues in China, Italy, London and Washington. These teams are aligned with our supply chain and pharmacy leadership to coordinate and synchronize our forward-thinking efforts.

Unprecedented times require unprecedented efforts. They also can take a significant toll on our personal and mental health. Our Disaster Mental Health Team is busy working to bring us helpful ways to deal with the stress and anxiety we may be feeling during this time. They have created a Wellness Champions channel on Microsoft Teams. Starting this week, virtual support groups are being offered three times a day at 8 am, 12 pm, and 8 pm through the Virtual Support Groups Teams channel also on Microsoft Teams. Other support resources include daily live streaming meditations, virtual mass/prayers from our Chapel and inspirational messages of support which can be found on the Community Messages of Support channel. A list of available internal and external support resources can also be found on ThePulse.

We all need to take good care of ourselves, so that we can take good care of our patients. Everywhere, I see people stepping up, working together in unison to combat this pandemic. Our fantastic team is so clearly much more than the sum of its parts, and we appreciate the many personal and professional sacrifices that you are making.

We want you to know that we hear your concerns, we care about you, and we are working hard to safeguard our Stony Brook Medicine family and the community we serve. Thank you for everything that you are doing to coordinate efforts to provide the best outcome possible in the wake of uncertainty.  We will be successful in our efforts by rowing together in unison, and we will leave no stone unturned in fighting this pandemic.

Stay “Stony Brook Strong.”

Carol