April 17: DAILY COVID-19 UPDATE

NEW TODAY: Here’s the latest information about Michigan Medicine’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic:

DAILY PATIENT STATS
DAILY TEAM MEMBER TESTING STATS
AD CAMPAIGN PAYS TRIBUTE TO YOU
WELL-BEING HELP CENTER
RACE AND COVID-19 AT MICHIGAN MEDICINE
COVID-19 ADMISSIONS GRAPH

DAILY PATIENT STATS

Today’s census for COVID-19 inpatients and those patients under investigation (PUI) are noted below: 

Discharges: 264 total COVID-19 discharges to date, 17 in the last 24 hours

DAILY TEAM MEMBER TESTING STATS*

* Data from 3/10 through 4/17. The testing stats reflect just Michigan Medicine employees, not all University of Michigan employees. It also reflects only those who sought testing at or were hospitalized at Michigan Medicine or reported their testing to Occupational Health Services. Some Michigan Medicine employees may have been tested outside our system.

HAIL TO ALL OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS

You have heard of the #HailToTheFrontLine social media campaign. This is being taken one step further with a video that recognizes our entire Michigan Medicine community as members of our front line. All of you play essential roles that make the absolute best of care of our patients a reality! The video, which will also air online as well as on TV and include some well-placed billboards, is a tribute and thank you to the life-saving work of team members in every part of our tri-partite mission. The funding for this campaign is thanks to a generous donation from the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Charitable Foundation. To get a sneak preview of this ad, go to: https://youtu.be/4W1GK3xgbIk

RACE AND COVID-19 AT MICHIGAN MEDICINE

There have been many media reports about the effect of race on outcomes of patients with COVID-19. African-American patients do make up a very high proportion – about 46% – of Michigan Medicine inpatients who have COVID-19. While the reasons for this are not entirely clear, many of these patients are transfers from metro Detroit and in part likely reflect the demographics and risks of the area. Once admitted, however, our early data suggests that patients with COVID-19 at Michigan Medicine have similar rates of ICU utilization and mortality regardless of race. This suggests that there are no significant disparities in treatment or outcomes once patients have reached our system.

The State of Michigan is taking steps to address these disparities. Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently created the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, which includes Michigan Medicine’s David J. Brown, M.D., associate vice president and associate dean for health equity and inclusion.

For Dr. Brown to best represent Michigan Medicine on the task force, you can still complete this Qualtrics survey and share pertinent research and viewpoints on this important subject. The survey data will be used to help inform the dialogue here at Michigan Medicine and throughout the state.

WELL-BEING HELP CENTER

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important for Michigan Medicine faculty, staff and learners, as well as members of the larger community, to take care of themselves.

In addition to staying healthy and staying home, except for engaging in essential services, all must attend to emotional, as well as physical well-being. Access to educational materials, counseling, tips, best practices, and other services — both at U-M and outside campus — is essential to maintain fitness in all areas as Michigan Medicine navigates this unprecedented time.

A wealth of health and well-being resources is now available in the COVID-19 Well-being Help Center on the new Michigan Medicine Wellness Office website: https://wellnessoffice.med.umich.edu/. The Wellness Office website currently is home to the COVID-19 Unified Mental Health Group, which coordinates the Stress Response Team through the Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience (OCWR). This team provides direct (on the hospital floors) and virtual counseling to front-line faculty and staff.

COVID-19 ADMISSIONS GRAPH

This graph is updated daily at https://www.uofmhealth.org/covid-19-update. It clearly demonstrates we have reached a plateau, where we may remain for some time.

Still have questions?

We are also posting all daily bulletins and policies on Michigan Medicine Headlines at https://mmheadlines.org/covid-19-updates/.  Please bookmark that site and refer to it throughout the day for the most up-to-date information. An FAQ for staff is also posted and updated frequently.

If you still can’t find what you’re looking for on these web pages, please email coronavirus-info@med.umich.edu and your question will be answered as quickly as possible.  Do not use this email for sharing patient health information.

Jeffrey Desmond, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer