DCH Coronavirus Update 8-25-20

Specialized Care for Medical ICU Patients

Patients in the ICU require continual monitoring and specialized care. This has been especially true for COVID-19 positive patients.

Starting today, DCH Regional Medical Center now has intensivists directing the care of its medical ICU patients. Intensivists are board-certified physicians who have advanced training and experience in treating critical care patients. Most intensivists have extensive postgraduate training and usually have multiple board certifications related to critical care.

As part of this change, DCH is also excited to welcome Dr. Chris Roney (pictured) of Sound Physicians as the medical director for the program. 

Testing and Confirmed Cases

To protect patient privacy, DCH has established a minimum threshold of five for reporting numbers of inpatients with laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19.

DCH internal counts as of 2:15 p.m. on 8/25/20:

• 64 inpatients are being treated for COVID-19.
• 26 inpatients who are positive for COVID-19 are being treated in the ICU.
• 8 who are positive for COVID-19 are on ventilators.
• 9 who are positive for COVID-19 are on a BiPAP.
• 2,790 (cumulative) unique positives for COVID-19 tests including results from the ED, triage tent and inpatient. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 18,107 (cumulative) unique negatives for COVID-19 at DCH sites.
• 3,620 (cumulative) positive COVID-19 at DCH sites. These individuals are not necessarily in the hospital.
• 24,882 (cumulative) negative tests at DCH sites.
• 773 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have been discharged.
• 150 inpatients (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died at DCH. This is not an indication of the cause of death, only that the individuals were positive for COVID-19 at the time of death.
• 87 Tuscaloosa County residents (cumulative) who were positive for COVID-19 have died (per the Alabama Department of Public Health).