The number of COVID-19 patients at The University of Kansas Health System has gone up today. 22 patients are being treated for the virus, up from 18 yesterday. Eight are in the ICU and two are on ventilators, both the same as yesterday. Doctors say this is not a surge, but an expansion period of the virus, which peaked at 24 patients two weeks ago and was down to 15 a week ago. They continue to see many 20-30-year olds admitted.

Doug Gaston, SVP, CFO at The University of Kansas Health system joined the panel today to do the math and help reconcile federal grant money with the cost of fighting a pandemic. Where were we? Where are we now? Where has the grant money gone? Are we asking or hoping for more? And, how are we going to make up the shortfall?                  

            Gaston explained that the health system lost $120 million between March and May. Even though a federal grant of $67 million came through, it still left a shortfall. Hospitals around the country are expected to lose $325 billion in 2020. While many hospitals could take 2-3 years to recover financially, Gaston believes The University of Kansas Health System will be able to recover sooner. He says the health system used its grant money wisely for daily operations, test supplies, stocking up on PPE and most importantly, keeping its highly trained staff intact, rather than resorting to furloughs as many hospitals have done. He says the health system is much better prepared for a surge than when the pandemic began. Though the idea of that surge concerns him, after thinking we were “over the hump,” he’s cautiously optimistic the health system will weather the storm.

  Dana Hawkinson, MD, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, talked about people who say they won’t wear a mask unless they are sick. He reminded us that at the beginning, most of us don’t know we’re infected and don’t feel any symptoms, but that’s when you’re most likely to spread the virus. He says social distancing is the number one way to keep it from spreading, and wearing a mask is number two. The combination, he says, is the most powerful way to stop COVID-19 until a vaccine is ready.

    Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, says it might be January before that vaccine is available, and the key is to keep COVID-19 under control until then. He reminded us we’re halfway there and says treatment for those with the disease has improved in the last few months. He says it’s possible for a big surge in cases if people continue to act irresponsibly and warned hospitals may be overwhelmed if a lot of people get the virus at once. He reminds us that it’s still out there, and some schools are rethinking their plans to fully open this fall. He says we bent the curve once, and now that society has reopened, we all must take responsibility for bending it again.

Wednesday, July 8 at 8:00 a.m. is the next daily briefing call. Dr. Sean Kumer, VP of Perioperative and Procedural Services and transplant surgeon joins Dr. Stites and Dr. Hawkinson to talk about what will look the same and what will look different if we have a second wave. He also has advice for patients on what they can and should do if deciding on a surgery or procedure.

ATTENTION: media procedure for calling in:

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