Houston Healthcare sees encouraging data – expands reopening

Last Monday, Houston Medical Center opened back up their surgical services on a limited basis at 25% operation. Starting this coming Monday, May 18, Charles Briscoe, president/CEO of Houston Healthcare, said Houston Medical Center will expand that capacity to 45-50%.

“When we made the decision to begin our surgical services, we did so with pre-op tests,” Briscoe said. “The patient would have to get a COVID-19 test done 96 hours before their surgical procedure. We will continue to do that, but now we will just expand our services to 45 to 50%. Also starting Monday (May 18), we will reopen Perry Hospital’s surgical services, starting them out as we did with Houston Medical Center at 25%, as well as open our Houston Heart Institute back up for elective heart procedures. The heart institute, of course, has been open for emergency cases.”

Briscoe further shared that slowly reopening the hospitals back up is based upon the data trends they are studying from the state and the north central public health district, which is made up of 13 counties including Houston.

“We’re excited, and the patients can be confident as our physicians and staff are confident in reopening,” Briscoe said. “We have seen a decline in total COVID-19 cases as well as a significant decrease in our critical care COVID-19 patients. We don’t really see a need for ventilators right now. I’m not an epidemiologist, but again, from what we see from our public health district and the state department of health, it seems to be improving and on the positive trend for decrease in cases. From day one when this pandemic began, we cohorted our COVID-19 patients, keeping them completely separate. Now dealing with smaller numbers, cohorting is even more effective.”

With seeing a decrease in the total number of COVID-19 cases, Briscoe wants to encourage the community that if they’re having other health symptoms such as chest pains, dizziness, fractures, or anything that relates to a heart attack or stroke, that it’s time to take care of those.

“That has kind of been the most eerie feeling during this pandemic … our ER (emergency room) has been down 50%,” Briscoe said. “We haven’t really seen a lot of those type cases with heart attacks and strokes. But it’s time to come back to the hospital and take care of oneself. Our health care system is open, it’s safe, we’re fully equipped with PPE (personal protective equipment), and we’re clean. We’re following the guidelines and taking all precautions daily to protect our patients and staff. At this point, any risk taken coming to the hospital is so insignificant compared to the risks of those certain symptoms.”

One thing that will remain in place is the restrictive visitation policy. The policy is only one essential visitor allowed per patient, if the patient is:

•A minor under the age of 18

•At the end of life/in hospice/palliative care

•In need of a health care decision maker or visitor to help with communication and/or mobility

•In labor and delivery and/or birth centers (including partner and birth coach)

“Right now the visitation policy remains, and I am hopeful, as this continues to improve, that it can change,” Briscoe said. “I will tell you that was absolutely the toughest part of the whole COVID-19 matter, telling family and friends that they can’t see their loved ones in the hospital. I can’t wait for the day to open back up for all family and friends to come in and be a part of the care team. Again, I can’t give an exact date of when that will be, but the first date we can, we will lift the restriction.”

Briscoe also expressed his appreciation to the community for their support and donations.

“We cannot say thank you enough to this amazing community,” Briscoe said. “It’s been overwhelmingly wonderful. It’s what’s brought us through this difficult time, everyday. We owe a large debt of gratitude to each everyone who has shown their support and donated PPE, food and more. Thank you.”

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