by Elizabeth Hofheinz, M.P.H., M.Ed., April 1, 2020
In this time of social distancing, Centura Health—a network of 17 hospitals—is finding ways to create unity. The 21,000 employees of Centura Health are hard at work assisting in the fight against COVID19 in Colorado and Western Kansas.
Andrew French, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer at Centura
Health. Asked what resources Centura already had in place to help the community,
he told OSN, “Before we learned COVID-19 existed at the beginning of
2020, we had pandemic plans in place and held drills and other exercises to
prepare for an outbreak. To this crisis, we brought a 138-year history as a
healing ministry in Colorado and western Kansas with 17 hospitals equipped with
negative airflow rooms and other tools, not to mention teams of experienced
caregivers at each facility.” 
As for the organizational structure they had to put in place to deal with COVID19, he noted, “We started preparing for COVID-19 just after the New Year, putting clinical and operational protocols and preparedness into place in accordance with CDC guidelines. In early March we opened 24/7 Incident Command Centers at the system level and at each of our hospitals. We have been working to increase capacity while conserving personal protective equipment (PPE) in anticipation of an increase in patients in the coming days. In addition, we have been working to educate our communities about COVID-19 through news media, social media and our own dedicated public web resource:www.centura.org/covid-19.”
“Our incredible caregivers across the Centura Health ecosystem are rising to the challenges presented by this pandemic, from nurses and doctors to environmental services staff who clean our patient care areas. They are working very hard while putting others before themselves in order to help defeat this disease.”
“As with health systems and hospitals across the country and around the world, we are facing a number of challenges with this crisis while continuing to provide great care to our patients. These include ongoing limitations with COVID-19 testing and working with a limited supply of PPE.”
“We are seeing an influx of support from our communities who are providing generous donations, including PPE, and other signs of solidarity that are helping to lift us up through this crisis. We are so thankful for their contributions.”
On the supply chain front, we turn to Clint Hinman, Vice President of Pharmacy and Shared Services at Centura Health. He commented to OSN, “Currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain team is experiencing procurement issues specific to shortages, backorders, allocations and some distribution disruption. Prior to the focus on the pandemic, yet still encountering, are challenges related to the ever-changing healthcare environment and the subsequent needs for a lean workforce, automation and efficiency.”
As what particular resources are problematic, he stated, “Centura Health is pushing the envelope in supply chain innovation and overall support of safe and quality patient care. In this journey, the collaboration between system health provider and vendor requires flexibility, creativity and commitment to thinking outside the box. We are experiencing some vendor hesitation to move the dial and truly achieve a shift in process and care delivery.”
But the Centura quality needle is stuck on excellence…
“Quality is always a non-negotiable priority. The challenge in our tracking involves the structural maturity, software functionality and process compliance. Due to the urgent and critical nature of quality tracking, it is a continual focus requiring coordination and collaboration with vendors and multidisciplinary service lines.”
And their most complex issue at the moment? “Efficiency,” says Hinman.
“The pace of healthcare change is rapid and as we develop a lean workforce, the scope of work involved in balancing both routine operations and innovation poses complex challenges in achieving the process and fiscal efficiencies.”
And while one might say this is no time for rest, the sages at Centura know that rest is imperative in order to function at maximum effectiveness. So they rest…a little…and then they get back to giving 150%.