An Update from CEO Lynn Ricci Regarding COVID-19
January 11, 2022
Dear Colleague/Stakeholder,
I hope that each of you are safe and healthy as we enter this new year. We have all learned valuable lessons about our health, our families, our health care systems and our resilience over the past two years. We had hoped to leave COVID-19 behind us but now realize that this virus will still be a part of the world in 2022. Today we have vaccines, surveillance, personal protection equipment and better-informed clinical practices that help us manage our personal and professional lives in a less chaotic way.
The current surge of COVID continues to present daily challenges. Hospital ERs are overwhelmed and overall COVID-19 hospitalizations may soon exceed the highest levels since the early pandemic. HFSC played a key role in supporting patients impacted in the early days of the pandemic and we continue to help patients recover from the coronavirus.
Today we also share the state and national labor challenges exacerbated by the pandemic. Each day our talented and dedicated staff continue to care for our complex and unique patients. Each day we make essential, but not always ideal, adjustments to our approach to care to maximize available resources. Some days require us to limit admissions, re-allocate resources, or modify treatment plans. Our patient and staff safety drive these decisions every shift.
Our small yet mighty occupational health team has done an outstanding job managing the complexities of this virus. Our staff has had access to personal protective equipment, vaccines, boosters, testing, emergency financial assistance and protected leaves when necessary throughout the pandemic. Our incident command structure has gathered information from Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, CDC, OSHA, and other nationally recognized sources to guide our practices around visitation, employee health, and patient care. We continue to monitor the many moving parts of this challenge and appreciate your support, patience and understanding. Together we will continue to stand strong.