Implementation of extra measures ensures reduction of cross-contamination within hospital workforces
April 15 2020 – HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division is going beyond Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations to ensure their 14 hospitals from Miami-Dade to the Treasure Coast are well-equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) throughout the COVID-19 crisis. To help inform caregivers, staff and the public about East Florida’s preparedness efforts around PPE, a video was filmed that touches on critical PPE management and reuse practices.
A few measures HCA East Florida is taking to help protect their staff while conserving PPE inventory include:
•Centralizing the inventory control of PPE
•Establishing a PPE Task Force
•Implementing reprocessing and extended use guidelines
The scale of HCA Healthcare as an international company affords the hospitals access to finished goods and raw material resources that many other organizations across the region do not have.
“Our top priority remains on protecting caregivers, staff and patients so we can best serve our communities throughout this pandemic,” said Charles Gressle, president of HCA Healthcare’s East Florida Division. “We are taking every preventative measure possible to ensure our hospitals don’t experience PPE shortage and are thankful to have access to exclusive resources that will keep it this way.”
Hospitals across South Florida and the Treasure Coast are supporting social distancing efforts and established a universal masking policy to help ensure all colleagues are working in a safe environment¬ —further reducing the potential for cross-contamination and the spread of the virus within our workforce.
To learn more about HCA East Florida’s PPE efforts and to view the video, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvSAecOuy0w&feature=youtu.be.
About HCA East Florida
HCA East Florida is the largest healthcare system in Eastern Florida and an affiliate of HCA Healthcare. Serving residents throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties and the Treasure Coast, HCA East Florida encompasses Aventura Hospital and Medical Center, Highlands Regional Medical Center, JFK Medical Center-Main Campus, JFK Medical Center-North Campus, Kendall Regional Medical Center, Longwood Regional Medical Center, Mercy Hospital, Northwest Medical Center, Palms West Hospital, Plantation General Hospital, Raulerson Hospital, St. Lucie Medical Center, University Hospital and Westside Regional Medical Center. HCA East Florida offers multiple ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices, urgent care and free standing emergency care facilities, as well as a supply chain center and an integrated regional lab. Together, HCA East Florida employs more than 18,800 employees and has more than 6,900 physicians on staff. For more information, visit HCAEastFlorida.com.
