Hope for the best, plan for the worst

KELLOGG — Even as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in neighboring Kootenai and Bonner counties, the Silver Valley has managed to delay the inevitable — for now.

As of Tuesday, the Panhandle Health District reports that while there are 31 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Idaho, none of them being from Shoshone County.

While this is good news on the surface, Shoshone Medical Center’s Dr. David Lawhorn reminds residents that this statistic is probably not accurate.

“There probably is someone in Shoshone County that is infected, we just don’t know it yet and we won’t know it for another week or two,” Dr. Lawhorn explained.

Even though COVID-19 has most likely already made its way here, Dr. Lawhorn and the rest of SMC’s staff know that things will really heat up when that first patient is “officially” diagnosed.

To prepare for this probable rise in requests for tests and treatment, SMC has already started taking precautions, stocking up on supplies and creating a game plan.

Both the hospital in Kellogg and the family medicine clinic in Smelterville continue to provide patient care, but patient care departments are currently limiting services or have been closed.

Visitors to both the clinic and hospital have also been restricted with very limited exceptions, such as providing care for a child. Friends or family members that arrive with a patient have been asked to wait in their car or another location outside the hospital.

“We understand this is an inconvenience and appreciate your help in limiting the number of visitors to our facilities at this time,” said Shayleen Jerome, SMC Business Development Coordinator. “This practice will help prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus while also helping us preserve needed protective equipment for our physicians and staff.”

Speaking of protective equipment, Lawhorn said that SMC has had recent success in stocking up vital gear such as masks, gowns, hats, gloves and face shields.

“We’re doing a little better than we thought we were going to be last week, so we’re in good shape as far as that goes,” he said.

SMC is monitoring their supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) on a daily basis and has numerous vendors that they work with to secure those needed supplies. To help medical personnel conserve this equipment, residents are asked to utilize family practice clinic telemedicine visits, which can be scheduled for some appointment types by calling 208-784-4612. Telehealth visits can also be scheduled for appointments with SMC’s licensed clinical social worker.

“We will do our best to support our patients and their family members with phone calls and videoconferencing media platforms,” Jerome said.

Thankfully, SMC has not been overwhelmed at this time, but Lawhorn said that SMC staff is taking literally everyday and every patient seriously at this point.

Emergency room visits have been below normal levels recently, but this could be due to the stay-home order and people staying put.

If the hospital does experience a sudden increase in emergency or inpatient needs, SMC will do its best to maximize access to needed resources, physicians and services by staying in close contact with Kootenai Health and other health care providers.

Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene has been chosen as the hub hospital to treat any confirmed inpatient cases of COVID-19 in North Idaho.

“The status of each patient and the availability of needed services and equipment will be determining factors on whether patients will remain in the community or will be transferred to another facility,” Jerome said.

Lawhorn added that in any scenario, if someone is a patient and they have to be intubated, they are shipped to Kootenai Health because SMC does not have an intensive care unit or the personnel to deal with that type of situation.

Kootenai Health is also the only medical facility in the region that has the ability to do outpatient COVID-19 testing — with an accompanying doctor order.

SMC is currently not a walk-in testing site, but if patients meet certain criteria to be tested through the Panhandle Health District and their primary care physician, they can administer a test.

SMC is still one of many medical facilities in the region that lack a surplus of COVID-19 testing kits.

Until more kits become available, the majority are being reserved for and used on individuals that classify as “high-risk,” such as the elderly and/or people with preexisting conditions. Around 80% of those who contract COVID-19 show little or no symptoms, even after the 2-14 day exposure period.

The number of COVID-19 tests administered to Shoshone County residents is unknown at this time, but SMC is attempting to determine that number. It is difficult to nail this number down due to SMC not knowing how many residents have traveled directly to Kootenai Health (or elsewhere) for a test.

Both Lawhorn and Jerome stress that the best way to help SMC in caring for the community is to follow Gov. Brad Little’s statewide stay-home order.

A summary of the order and other important information is available at coronavirus.idaho.gov.

If you have questions or are experiencing respiratory symptoms, contact Panhandle Health District at 877-415-5225 to be screened for possible COVID-19 testing.

If you require emergency or other patient services at SMC, please call ahead if possible to 208-784-1221 so preparations can be made.