Mount Pleasant Magazine Documenting Covid-19

45 www.CoronavirusMag.com | www.ReadMPM.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com feature were a severe outbreak in our area, DHEC has requested that hospitals report their bed statuses every 24 hours through the Bed Availability and Report Tool, aka BART. Hospitals must report their available beds, staffed beds and other related information. The Medical Surge Planning Team, comprised of representatives from SCHA, DHEC and the National Guard, has a plan to add another 3,000 beds — for a total of around 9,000 — if necessary. There are 18 facilities around the state, including coliseums, hotels and closed hospitals, that are at the ready to become alternate care sites if the need arises. Another key element that has been considered is available staffing. Independent and private physician staff who have been furloughed during the pandemic may be recruited by SCHA if additional short-term support is needed. Recent retirees or those with inactive licenses who would like to help are also in consideration. As the saying goes, “the only thing constant in life is change,” and this couldn’t be truer than during the current pandemic. The normalcy we had grown accustomed to has eroded, and in recent weeks, rules change every few weeks by country, by state and by county. What we know about the virus also seems to change and grow constantly. As East Cooper Medical Center, one of SCHA’s associated hospitals, explained, “As guidelines change, health and w llness Photo by Juli Kaplan.