Sutter Roseville opens new ER-ICU expansion early

Prepares for additional COVID-19 patients while accommodating others' health issues With COVID-19 hitting California in January, medical centers took action in preparation of a possible onslaught of cases. Sutter Roseville Medical Center, working on a $178-million ER-ICU construction project since 2017, pushed its opening date forward from the end of May to Tuesday. On Tuesday, the 98,400-square-foot expansion opened, doubling the emergency department, nearly doubling critical-care beds and adding 58 more private rooms, according to a press release from the center. "When our team met in late February to discuss surge preparations for COVID-19, it was apparent that we needed to move up the opening of this expansion to ensure we had the highest level of care available for the expanding needs of our community and region," said Sutter Roseville Medical Center CEO Brian Alexander. Officials say the center is "uniquely prepared" for a possible patient surge in the pandemic, if it should happen locally, or any other crisis or pandemic, Alexander said. Sutter Roseville Medical Center initially erected tents for COVID-19 testing of patients suffering from respiratory symptoms while keeping them separated from other patients. With the expansion open, those individuals will now receive testing and triage in the older ER lobby. Patients with other health emergencies are now seen in the new ER lobby. It is unclear just how many patients have been seen, tested or hospitalized for COVID-19 at the center. "Out of respect for patient and employee privacy, we are not able to disclose the number of positive COVID-19 patients in our facilities or under our care. Even in times of emergency, the responsibility of protecting patient, staff and clinician privacy remains one of our priorities," according to Gary Zavoral, a spokesman for Sutter Roseville Medical Center. "It's a policy that has been standard among all health providers during this pandemic," he told Gold Country Media. A similar response came from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. "Out of respect for public health oversight and respect for patient privacy, we do not provide information about suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases," said Chyresse Hill, Kaiser public relations spokeswoman As of Wednesday, there have been a total of 145 confirmed cases and eight deaths due to the virus in Placer County, according to the county's Department of Public Health website. On Wednesday, there were a total of five hospitalized confirmed cases countywide, one of which was in intensive care. That number had risen sharply in mid-March when testing became more available. From a total of 78 cases on April 1, there have been a couple or three new confirmed cases added to the numbers every few days. With the potential of sharing a waiting room with possible COVID-19 patients, ERs and urgent care facilities have seen fewer numbers of patients with other types of problems for the past six weeks. That is a concern for Sutter Roseville as it wants to assure "that the hospital is a safe place to come and receive treatment," according to Alexander. Elective surgeries and other tests and treatments that could "safely" be postponed were scaled back, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "While we are encouraged by the governor's announcement, which was based on the administration's assessment of progress toward the surge preparedness of the state's hospitals and health systems, surge readiness remains our top clinical priority," said Dr. Bill Isenberg, Sutter Health's chief quality control and safety officer. "There are key principles to keep in mind as we look at conducting some procedures again, including PPE availability and testing capacity, as well as continuing to make sure that our plans are in line with guidance from government entities and medical professional societies. For all these reasons, we will resume services with a phased, safety-first approach. "We know patients are eager to reschedule deferred procedures and care, and we want them to know that we are here to care for them. We will proactively reach out to our patients with details soon."