East Point hospital ‘ready for surge’ of coronavirus patients
WellStar AMC South ramping up rapid testing, adding tents for outdoor triage
East Point’s only hospital – one of the first medical centers in metro Atlanta to see a coronavirus infection – is introducing rapid testing, stockpiling equipment and bracing for what could be a surge of cases.
The city’s aging population, a high proportion of chronic medical conditions and the number of long-term and senior care facilities in the area have officials at WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South concerned about the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic in East Point.
But the hospital on Cleveland Avenue has made several changes to its operations to prepare, according to Dr. Sulieman Wazeerud (second photo), the center’s medical director. He briefed East Point City Council members during their meeting on Monday.
“We are ready for the surge,” he said. “We want to prevent, we want to protect and we want to provide.”
Fulton County leads the state in COVID-19 infections, and Wazeerud said one of the first was diagnosed at WellStar’s facility in East Point. Some 10,566 cases of coronavirus have been reported across Georgia with 1,276 in Fulton, according to Georgia Department of Public Health statistics released Thursday.
“AMC South is one of the first sites to have a positive case,” he said.
Wazeerud clapped back at speculation that the facility would close. In fact, he said, WellStar – a system of 11 hospitals across Georgia – is providing resources to fight the coronavirus to AMC South. In February, WellStar Health System announced a search for partners to find a “sustainable solution” to operating the two AMC facilities in East Point and Atlanta. That fueled speculation WellStar might shutter the hospitals.
“We are not closing. We are here to help each other support this community, first and foremost, no matter whose name is on that particular sign,” Wazeerud said.
“WellStar has shown a tremendous commitment to protecting the citizens of East Point, a tremendous commitment to our nursing staff,” he added.
WellStar has purchased personal protective equipment for staff at the East Point hospital and additional equipment to process patients more quickly. That has included tents and barriers, Wazeerud said.
The hospital now meets ambulances as they arrive to triage patients outside and as soon as this week will install tents to expand the practice, he said. The hospital is also reconfiguring its urgent care space in the emergency room to care for people suspected of having coronavirus. The hospital also expects to deploy rapid COVID-19 testing by the end of the week, he said.
“We started accepting patients outside the facility to help protect those patients that are inside. That is something new,” Wazeerud said.
Hospital adds rapid coronavirus testing
Wazeerud said a shortage of testing kits was a barrier in the early weeks of the pandemic. But within days, the hospital should be equipped to provide rapid testing to most patients who suspect they are infected.
“We will start doing a whole lot more testing,” Wazeerud said.
He said the number of rapid tests the hospital performs will depend on how many kits it receives. But he expected the rapid test to be available by Friday.
“Access to care and tests have been an issue and we are trying to address that,” Wazeerud said.
But he cautioned that the hospital won’t be a drive-through testing site, like one opened by CVS Health at Georgia Tech on Monday. Its tests will be restricted to those most at risk of infection, including people showing symptoms of the virus and those with compromised immune systems. Wazeerud said he’s particularly concerned that 11 percent of East Point’s population is over 65 and there’s a high proportion of people with chronic conditions, such as asthma or diabetes, or who are battling cancer or HIV and have compromised immune systems.
“Our intent is to protect the most vulnerable,” Wazeerud said.
“We want to prevent that large spike in cases that are so severe so it won’t overrun our health system. If you have too many cases coming in, the nurses and physicians get sick and can’t handle the workload,” he added.
Wazeerud said if the hospital in East Point fills its limited Intensive Care Unit with patients infected with coronavirus, they could be moved to other WellStar facilities. The health system hosts a daily call with its hospitals to allocate resources during the pandemic.
“Our intent is to flatten the curse,” Wazeerud said.
Read more coverage of how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting East Point.