Olympic Medical Center is “stepping up” to fight the coronavirus pandemic and preparing for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases, said CEO Eric Lewis, who has postponed his retirement to help deal with the crisis.

Hospital officials were focused on securing personal protective equipment, or PPE, and ramping up inpatient capacity, Lewis told the OMC board on April 1.

“Everybody is just stepping up,” Lewis said of OMC’s 1,550 employees.

“We had a busy and amazing March. I think April is going to be just as challenging, if not far more challenging. We are getting ready, and I think our employees and medical staff are up to what’s in front of us.”

OMC, which is Clallam County’s largest employer, had avoided layoffs but reassigned some workers as inpatient volumes continue to lag, Lewis said.

“Right now, we’ve been low on inpatients but we’re ready for increases,” Lewis said.

Lewis said he postponed his planned retirement from May 1 to at least June 1 to help with the COVID-19 outbreak and to help train a new chief financial officer.

“The big discussion every day is PPE,” Lewis said.

“We are watching that very closely on a daily basis, and the recommendations on how to use PPE are changing.

“We’re looking at best evidence and really trying to implement what’s best to keep our employees safe,” Lewis added.

“Also, we need to conserve PPE because Seattle hospitals, New York hospitals have run out. We do not want to be there.”

Harbor Freight Tools, located at 1940 E. First St. in Port Angeles, donated three pallets of personal protective equipment to OMC, Lewis said.

“I was amazed they’re just giving it to us, three big pallets,” Lewis said.

“So thank you, Harbor Freight.”

OMC officials are focused on using the “right amount” of PPE to maintain an adequate supply for the peak of COVID-19.

“We think Washington state’s set to make the peak about mid-April,” Lewis said.

“We may be a couple weeks behind Washington state as a whole.”

OMC staff and patients are being screened for the respiratory and feverish symptoms of COVID-19 before they can enter any patient care facility in Port Angeles or Sequim.

A triage had been established at the OMC emergency department to separate patients with respiratory infections from other patients.

Preparing for more

Lewis said the patient volumes were down at OMC and at rural hospitals statewide.

OMC’s inpatient census has been averaging less than 25 in recent weeks compared to an average of 40 to 45, Lewis said. The hospital has 67 beds, according to its website, www.olympic medical.org.

To prepare for a possible bed shortage, OMC is developing an intergovernmental agreement with Peninsula College to use 15 beds from the college’s Allied Health building.

The 15 inpatient beds would be placed in the hospital’s east wing on the second floor.

“We should be getting that done here in the next week or so,” Lewis said.

“We’ve had a long-term, positive relationship with Peninsula College and (President) Dr. Luke Robins has agreed and really wants to help us.”

Meanwhile, OMC continues to collect coronavirus lab samples for testing. The processing time for COVID-19 samples had decreased from several days to 24 to 48 hours since OMC switched from a private lab to the University of Washington, Lewis said.

“We’re using the UW lab, so we’re getting much faster turnaround,” Lewis said.

Peninsula coordination

“We’re also coordinating these deliveries with Forks (Community) Hospital and Jefferson Healthcare.”

A courier takes samples from the three North Olympic Peninsula hospitals to the UW lab daily.

“We’re meeting on the way to Seattle, we’re picking up Jefferson’s (samples), and all three hospitals are being delivered by 11 a.m. every morning,” Lewis said.

Lewis said OMC was “looking at how we can bring COVID-19 testing in-house” to further decrease turnaround time.

OMC has the requisite lab equipment for COVID-19 testing but lacks a special cartridge needed for the test.

“The problem is, of course, those cartridges are in short supply,” Lewis said.

“So we are trying to get some of those.”

Commissioner Jean Hordyk asked Lewis how the hospital was staffing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

“We have not laid any employees off,” Lewis said.

“We have a personnel pool, so people are being reassigned. Staffing is an evolving thing right now.

“If our volumes go up, we need to have the staffing available,” Lewis added.

Elective medical procedures and surgeries were canceled through May 27 under an order issued by Gov. Jay Inslee.

“We’re doing less of everything,” Lewis said.

“Everyone has experienced volume decreases, and perhaps staying at home, people are having less accidents.

“COVID-19 is one health care need, but we do so many other things,” Lewis added.

“If people are delaying needed care, you can decrease utilization for a while, but it may, over time, lead to an increase in patient use.”

Lewis said COVID-19 was putting a strain on “every human being in America.”

“This is pretty big,” Lewis said.

“We all remember 9/11. I don’t think any of us are going to forget the worldwide pandemic. Ever.”

Girl Scout Troop 45496 in Port Angeles recently donated cookies to Olympic Medical Center nurses. Cookies were purchased by the community through the troop’s “Gift of Caring” prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. People could buy cookies for the military or a local agency, which the girls decided to be for local nurses. Submitted photo

An anonymous patient donated 25 pizzas from Westside Pizza and sodas to the staff at the Olympic Medical Physicians walk-in clinic in March. The donor, who declined to be identified, is making this a weekly event “to show her appreciation and support for the front line workers in healthcare as well as the local restaurants,” staffer Sandy Tapia said. “I don’t know how else to thank her but it really means a lot to us during this time of stress and fear. We are so thankful … and lucky to have amazing people who care in our small community.” Photo courtesy of Sandy Tapia