COVID-19HospitalsRegulatory

‘On-the-job emergency training’: Hospitals may run low on staff to run ventilators for coronavirus patients

March 27, 2020 / Kevin McCoy and Katie Wedell, USA TODAY

As the coronavirus threatens the nation’s health care system, hospitals are seeking tens of thousands of ventilators to help patients breathe as the disease attacks their lungs.

But someone needs to operate those breathing machines. And there aren’t enough specially trained personnel, health care experts and reports warn.

“They’re very complex machines, and you don’t have enough respiratory therapists,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“You’re going to have to train nurses and others to run them,” he said. “This is not a surprise. We’ve known for more than 15 years that this is one of the biggest chokepoints … in saving lives in a pandemic.”

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Chris J. Stewart

Chris currently serves as President and CEO of Surgio Health. Chris has close to 20 years of healthcare management experience, with an infinity to improve healthcare delivery through the development and implementation of innovative solutions that result in improved efficiencies, reduction of unnecessary financial & clinical variation, and help achieve better patient outcomes. Previously, Chris was assistant vice president and business unit leader for HPG/HCA. He has presented at numerous healthcare forums on topics that include disruptive innovation, physician engagement, shifting reimbursement models, cost per clinical episode and the future of supply chain delivery.

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