The COVID-19
IMPACT on the
Healthcare Community Story by Kelly Harley | Photos by Michelle
“We’ve realigned our priorities as we have seen a paradigm shift in how we care and treat patients today and, in the future.”
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n early March, life quickly changed. Healthcare personnel at Effingham Health System (EHS) geared up for an ongoing battle. In a matter of weeks, staff and patients would realize that the new normal was here to stay. “When COVID-19 became a true reality to the healthcare industry, we immediately implemented best practices and took a proactive approach to our response efforts,” says chief executive officer Dr. Fran Baker-Witt of Effingham County Health System (EHS). She says the hospital partnered with the Georgia Hospital Association, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and other resources to position the healthcare system to stay in front of the unfolding
www.PoolerMagazine.com | July/August 2020
crisis. Dr. Baker-Witt says the pandemic is a gamechanger for the healthcare delivery model and practices put into place are likely here to stay for an indefinite period. Creative Approaches Some practices put in place are creative approaches to serving patients. Effingham Hospital realized early on that one of the best ways to serve the community was through telemedicine. Telemedicine is not new to EHS. In 2017, EHS partnered with Georgia Partnership for Telehealth and launched telemedicine programs in Effingham County schools. “We are good at telemedicine, and the infrastructure was already there. It
