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As of November 11, there were a reported 293 confirmed cases of COVID- 19 affiliated with Cook County. That tally was an increase of 21 over the previous seven days.
The increase in cases has created a demand for additional monoclonal antibody therapy at North Shore Health, said NSH Administrator Kimber Wraalstad.
North Shore Health provides monoclonal antibody therapy for up to four patients a day Monday through Saturday. Difficulties and delays in transferring patients to higher level care remain. The regional health care organizations continue to discuss lateral transfers of patients from tertiary facilities to community facilities in an attempt to increase bed availability in Duluth, Hibbing and Grand Rapids. Wraalstad said, many organizations are boarding patients in Emergency departments for several days until there is an opening.
Vaccination rates for employees at NSH is 90 percent, and one hundred percent of care center residents have been vaccinated, said Wraalstad.
Because Cook County has a community transmission rate now rated in the “high” category, employees who aren’t fully vaccinated are tested twice weekly.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released interim final rules on November 4 regarding mandatory vaccinations. The requirements are for facilities regulated under Medicare Conditions of Participation. These include clinics, critical access hospitals (North Shore Health), long-term care facilities (Care Center), home health agencies and rural health clinic/s federally qualified health centers (Sawtooth Mountain Clinic).
Each facility must have a process or plan for vaccinating all eligible staff, have a strategy or plan for providing exemptions and accommodations for those that are exempt, and have a process in place for employees who are exempt and have a method for tracking and documenting staff vaccinations.
A plan for exceptions and accommodations tracking and documenting staff vaccinations must be in place by December 6, 2021.
Unless exempted, all staff must have a first dose vaccine for COVID-19 by December 6 and be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022.
The CMS requires all facilities to plan to accommodate exempted employees who are not vaccinated. Employees can be exempted for religious beliefs, medical conditions, observances, or practices. Potential accommodations for those staff could include testing, physical distancing, or source control.
Wraalstad said NSH is in the process of reviewing the CMS guidelines and revising some policies regarding the mandates and exemptions. In addition, department leaders and human resources are beginning to have conversations with employees who are not fully vaccinated.
New maintenance director
After four years, Chris Lange, Director of Maintenance, has resigned and will move back to southern Minnesota to be closer to family. Brook Leesard, from Ham Lake, has been hired as the new maintenance director. Brook is currently the Chief Building Engineer/Building Manager for JJL. He will be joining NSH full time in early January, but first will spend one-week training with Chris before returning to finish his job.
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