First-Of-Its-Kind Report Details How New York Children's Hospital Transformed To Provide Care To Adult COVID-19 Patients

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Providers Share Best Practices in Journal of Pediatrics as Healthcare Systems Nationwide Prepare for COVID-19 Surge

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May 04, 2020, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the course of two weeks in March, COVID-19 cases at Montefiore grew from two to almost 700. As the health system looked to increase capacity, an inpatient pediatric unit at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM), quickly became a 40-bed unit that would be home to adult patients. A new, first-of-its-kind report published in the Journal of Pediatrics describes the rapid transformation that took place. The report also shares valuable lessons learned and best practices for healthcare providers throughout the country, who may face a similar situation in the weeks ahead.

"In collaboration with our adult care providers, we quickly trained CHAM clinicians on how to provide an effective, informed and thoughtful approach to care for our new adult patients," said lead author Kaitlyn Philips, DO, assistant medical director of Pediatric Quality, CHAM, and assistant professor of pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "In a matter of weeks, our physicians and nurses became accustomed to new policies and protocols, caring for adults with a highly contagious disease, and many with other underlying conditions."

Instead of assigning pediatricians to be part of teams led by adult medicine physicians, Montefiore developed a strategy of training pediatrician-led teams and having them work within their own familiar setting. Established CHAM teams of pediatric physicians and nurses consulted with adult-medicine physicians to provide life-saving care to more than 100 patients within 10 days of accepting adults. The new report outlines the steps taken to prepare and train pediatric healthcare providers on how to treat a new, older population, including enhanced communication, adapted rounding practices, and a new coordinated approach with adult hospital medicine providers.

"This effort is a true example of interdisciplinary care and all-hands-on-deck preparation," said Michael D. Cabana, M.D., MPH, Physician-in-Chief at CHAM and The Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University Chair, Department of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "Our teams mobilized early, quickly and effectively to provide high-quality care to the parents and grandparents of their usual patients. Being part of a large, integrated healthcare system enabled us to access the expertise and resources necessary to provide this care."

In addition to providing recommended therapies for adults, the team recognized that palliative care would be essential. Dr. Cabana and Dr. Sarah Norris, director of Pediatric Palliative Care and the Quality in Life Team (QUILT) at CHAM gathered and trained 27 pediatricians, nurse practitioners and psychologists in just one week. They were then deployed throughout the adult COVID-19 unit at CHAM to help patients and their families stay connected, informed and educated during hospitalization. The expanded QUILT team became a lifeline for patients and their families, available seven days per week to help them as they faced complex medical decisions and uncertainty.

The last adult patient has been discharged from CHAM 8 and the providers will now care for pediatric patients again. Approximately 150 adults received COVID-19 treatment at CHAM.

About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System is one of New York's premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 11 hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

SOURCE Montefiore Health System