The Bexar County Medical Society COVID-19 Task Force: Our Next Move By John J. Nava, MD

The Bexar County Medical Society COVID-19 Task Force: Our Next Move

By John J. Nava, MD

Fifteen months ago, the BCMS COVID-19 Task Force was formed by inviting members of the Public Health and Patient Advocacy, Emergency Preparedness, Executive, Legislative and Socioeconomics Committees of BCMS to combine their efforts. The intent was to examine the outbreak of COVID-19 in our community and to evaluate, recommend and communicate to BCMS leadership how BCMS could be involved in the fight against this deadly virus.

Four subcommittees were formed, each meeting separately and reporting back to the larger group at weekly virtual meetings. The combined emphases of the Task Force evolved from learning about this new virus to educating others about the virus, using PPE to protect oneself and understanding the logistics of vaccine administration. Together with the community of San Antonio, BCMS has worked to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus; the numbers of vaccinated persons have increased and new cases have decreased.

We would like to recognize, congratulate and thank all those who helped in this effort. Each of the subcommittee chairs was asked to provide a synopsis of the activities of their respective subcommittees. Their comments follow.

Lubna Naeem, MD Communication Subcommittee Chair

We are in this together. In the year 2020, with a crisis like that of COVID-19 and when the stakes were high, the Communication Subcommittee’s role was outstanding in engaging the physicians, community and stakeholders, whether it was making public service announcements (PSAs) for making universal mask wearing a community standard or promoting contact tracing awareness.

We appreciate the overwhelming response from the community for the PSA initiative. We are proud of our team, integral committees, medical students, Alliance, BCMS members and the community partners for their aspiration to be part of this integral initiative. This wouldn’t be possible without the support of the BCMS leadership and the entire BCMS staff.

Thank you. Diane Simpson, MD Community Mitigation Subcommittee

The Community Mitigation Subcommittee was formed to examine the most relevant public health practices to control the spread and encourage adoption. The committee members decided the use of social media messaging was the most practical means to disseminate correct information to the public.

This role was more important early in the pandemic, when the general population began to understand the scope and risks of COVID19 and to adopt effective prevention measures into their daily lives. The committee members self-produced video messages to post on social media and the BCMS website, covering topics such as the need for cooperation with contact tracing and case investigation, the importance of going to the hospital in medical emergencies and voting safely in the 2020 elections. These messages provided correct information and demonstrated the support of BCMS in regards to good public health practices.

By December 2020, information and professional messaging regarding COVID-19 had saturated the mainstream media. The need for this subcommittee lessened considerably and the group decided not to meet in 2021, although members continue to write occasional articles on COVID-19 and public health issues for San Antonio Medicine.

Leah H. Jacobson, MD, FAAP Pediatric and School Re-opening Subcommittee

No one could have imagined back in March of 2020 that what started as the usual Spring Break would change the educational system dramatically for the next 15 months.

The Pediatric and School Re-opening Subcommittee worked diligently during this time to discuss issues related to the effects of the pandemic on children and their changes in schooling.

A few of the topics discussed included: 1) positivity rates and other metrics in the pediatric populations both locally and at the state level, 2) the need to follow closely ever-changing guidelines issued by

TEA (Texas Education Agency), UIL (University Interscholastic League) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 3) recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Pediatric Society, and 4) varied special interests, such as special education, insecurities (food, internet access, child care), etc.

We were also involved with the local Metro Health preK-12 Consultation Group in an advisory role. I am very proud of the work of the members of this subcommittee. This group developed a Pediatric COVID-19 Symptoms Severity Chart (in both English and Spanish) which was printed in San Antonio Medicine magazine, then elevated to the state level through the Texas Medical Association (TMA). We also drafted a position statement on school face-to-face re-openings for BCMS last summer, and worked on a letter to the Governor concerning the state of education during the pandemic.

A personal thank you all subcommittee members, as well as staff person extraordinaire, Mrs. Mary Nava.

Zeke Silva, MD Hospital and Workforce Subcommittee

Policymakers recognized early on that protecting our nation’s health care infrastructure was a key consideration in fighting the COVID19 pandemic. The BCMS COVID Task Force, therefore, included a Hospital and Workforce subcommittee to monitor our local health care facility status. The subcommittee was populated with physician leaders from our city’s various hospital systems.

The subcommittee monitored local data closely, particularly data from the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) Pandemic Medical Operations Workgroup, where BCMS had several representatives who participated on their calls several times a week. The STRAC data was tabulated daily and included specific numbers on the number of COVID-19 positive inpatients, new admissions, ICU, ventilated and ECMO patients. The data was also broken down by hospitals within Bexar County and those outside of Bexar County and included a hospital stress score for each. The subcommittee collaborated to share strategies which were successful for our respective health systems. We followed national and state level trends closely and inquired how our local hospitals were being impacted by these trends. For example, how many staff were leaving San Antonio for other opportunities around the country? And how many supplemental staff were being received by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services? Careful and continuous monitoring of hospital needs, staffing and collaboration between systems allowed the subcommittee to inform the broader BCMS on its communication and actions on behalf of our members and our patients.

Wrap-up

As the taskforce winds down, the question has been posed, “What did we accomplish?” Well, our meetings maintained situational awareness of the status of the community response. Through posts on BCMS social media, The Physicians Link newsletter and articles in San Antonio Medicine magazine, we disseminated information to the larger society and San Antonio citizens. We were ever ready, waiting in the wings should our assistance be needed. Our willingness to serve was tangible evidence of the spirit of service of the Bexar County Medical Society.

During the last year, the pandemic exposed gaps in health coverage of certain vulnerable groups. Issues of health equity that were actually chronic became apparent as the community-wide response developed. Community-wide concerns regarding food insecurity and unmet mental health needs persist.

Now we consider where we go from here, as a medical society and a larger service community. Many of the unmet needs remain, and the Public Health and Patient Advocacy Committee will continue to address these issues. Unaddressed needs and health equity issues offer the chance to respond as valued health care leaders to inform and guide our fellow residents of Bexar County.

I welcome any BCMS members who have an interest in participating, and extend an open invitation to become more involved.

In closing, I express my gratitude to all the members of the BCMS COVID-19 Task Force, the four subcommittee chairs, and all of the BCMS staff, without whom our efforts would not have been possible.

John J. Nava, MD was the Chair of this BCMS COVID19 Task Force and is the current Vice President of the Bexar County Medical Society.