10/15/2020 San Diego State University Mail - RE: Clarifying definition of current available bed Tarryn Mento RE: Clarifying definition of current available bed 1 message Sweeney, Sarah Wed, Oct 14, 2020 at 10:10 AM To: Tarryn Mento Cc: "Sturak, Craig" , "Workman, Michael E" Tracking “staffed” beds will always look like the hospitals are almost out of beds and doesn’t accurately account for their ability to rapidly increase capacity and staff. Sarah Sweeney, MA, Communications Officer Agency Executive Office County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency O: 619-685-2522 C: 619-997-6481   For local information and daily updates on COVID-19, please visit sandiegocounty.gov/coronavirus. To receive updates via text, send COSD COVID19 to 468311.   From: Tarryn Mento Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2020 2:14 PM To: Sweeney, Sarah Cc: Sturak, Craig ; Workman, Michael E Subject: Re: Clarifying definition of current available bed Thank you. As I mentioned earlier, hospital representatives have said that monitoring staffed beds is a better measure of hospital/ICU capacity -- can you explain why the county selected to measure physical beds and not staffed beds for its triggers on hospital and ICU availability? On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 12:46 PM Sweeney, Sarah wrote: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b196120b9e&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ar985372425190258391%7Cmsg-f%3A1680547952489… 1/4 10/15/2020 San Diego State University Mail - RE: Clarifying definition of current available bed For trigger 7, can you please clearly explain the county's definition of a current ICU bed that's open? With respect to trigger number 7, the term ‘open ICU bed’ refers to an unoccupied ICU bed. So of all the ICU beds across the civilian hospitals, this represents the percent of beds that do not have a patient in them. This is a daily point in time count (submitted at the same time each day) and used to monitor a trend over time. Do staff have to be immediately available for it? No Does the bed have to be currently empty? (I talked to a nurse at Sharp who mentioned that sometimes, patients are placed in an ICU bed but don't need ICU-level care. They said this may be due to other units being too full. So I'm curious to know if an ICU bed that was occupied by a non-ICU patient would be considered open.) Correct, the bed needs to be empty. An ICU bed occupied by a non-ICU patient would not be considered empty, it would be considered occupied. As for the Rady ICU beds and policies, I recommend asking them. Sarah Sweeney, MA, Communications Officer Agency Executive Office County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency O: 619-685-2522 C: 619-997-6481   For local information and daily updates on COVID-19, please visit sandiegocounty.gov/coronavirus. To receive updates via text, send COSD COVID19 to 468311.   From: Tarryn Mento Sent: Monday, October 12, 2020 5:03 PM To: Sturak, Craig Cc: Sweeney, Sarah ; Workman, Michael E Subject: Re: Clarifying definition of current available bed https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b196120b9e&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ar985372425190258391%7Cmsg-f%3A1680547952489… 2/4 mils/202a San Diego Siaie Mail RE elaniying dehnilion olcuneni availaole oed Also' do ihe currenl lcu beds available include lcu beds ai Rady Children's Haspllal? ll 50' how many? Rady said ihai il would accepi palienis up io 26 years old during lhe pandemic bul mosl ol ihe haspllalized covna palienls are well older lhan lhis .- how can ihese beds serve palienls older ihan 26? On Mon, ch 12' 2020 ai 3:24 PM Tarryn Menio wrale: Hi Craig, have a lollow up quesiion to some responses ihal Sarah has helped me gel. believe she's oul of lhe oliice so l'm checking if you can help was asking Sarah lor deiails on whai lnggers 5 and 7 exactly lrack was io learn if ihe couniy includes licensed beds in ils lcu and hospiial capacily measuremenis and she clarilied wilh ihis answer: 5 is whal percentage oicurreni beds are occupied 7 is whal percentage oi currem ICU beds are open (=rlol occupied) l'd like to furlher clarify whal lhe counly means by "currenl lcu beds" lhai are open, 1) Farlriggel 7, can you please clearly explain lhe county's of a curreni ICU bed ihai's open? 2) Do slalr have lo be imrnedialely available lor in 3) Does lhe bed have io be currenily empty? (I ialked lo a nurse ai Sharp who menlioned ihal somellmes' palienls are placed in an ICU bed bul don't need ICU-level care They said lhis may be due lo oiher unils being [on full So l'm curious io know If an ICU bed lhai was occupied by a non-ICU palienlwould he considered open.) Please lel me know by ihe end ol ihe day lomorrow, Thanks Tarryn Tarryn Menio KFBS Heallh Reporler (619) 594-3766 @mmenm .kpbs mips Hmall google 3/4 10/15/2020 San Diego State University Mail - RE: Clarifying definition of current available bed -Tarryn Mento KPBS Health Reporter (619) 594-3766 @tbmento -Tarryn Mento KPBS Health Reporter (619) 594-3766 @tbmento https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b196120b9e&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-a%3Ar985372425190258391%7Cmsg-f%3A1680547952489… 4/4