Hundreds of health workers across the state sidelined by COVID-19 infections, exposure – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

David Eggman is a registered nurse who works at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. The surge in COVID-19 cases increases the risk of nurses and other hospital workers testing positive or being exposed to someone who has in the community.(Photo: Courtesy Aspirus Wausau Hospital)

Hospitals could face an additional challenge in the coming weeks from the states surge in COVID-19 cases: Their workers are at increased risk of becoming infected with the virus or being exposed to someone who is, forcing them to isolate or quarantine for as long as two weeks.

That would only increase the pressure on hospitals that have seen a sharp increase in COVID-19 patients in the past month.All72 counties recorded a very high level of COVID-19 activity, and state health officials implored residents to stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Signs of the potential risk already are appearing.

Marshfield Clinic Health System has about 140 people at its nine hospitals out because they have tested positive or been exposed to someone who has. Mayo Clinic Health System has said that 200 of its 4,800 workers in northwestern Wisconsin, which includes its hospital in Eau Claire, are out for the same reason.

ThedaCare, which has large hospitals in Neenah and Appleton, had an average of 175 people out each day last month. Bellin Health in Green Bay had about 60 people out of its 4,800 workers out as of Monday. ProHealth Care had 90 people out as of Wednesday.

Those health systems and others have stressed that they have been able to maintain adequate staff to care for patients by moving nurses and other workersand taking other steps.

But many health systems are not disclosing how many people in their hospitals are out because they have tested positive or been exposed to the virus.

The health systems that did not respond or declined to disclose the information include Aurora Health Care, Ascension Wisconsin, Froedtert Health, Childrens Wisconsin, UW Health, Hospital Sisters Health System and Aspirus.

The ZablockiVA Medical Center in Milwaukee also did not respond to questions on how many of its workers are out.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is not tracking how many hospital workers are out. It does track health care workers who have tested positive or are experiencing symptoms but does not break out the number of hospital workers who have been affected.

The number of cases and the high percentage of people who test positivethe percent has hit 30% on some days suggests that the virus is increasingly widespread in communities.

Further, given that as many as 40% of those infected by the virus may not show symptoms, its prevalence is more widespread than the number of positive cases suggest.

All this increases the chances of additional hospital workers becoming infected or exposed to the virus.

That worries health systems.

Mayo Clinic temporarily deferred elective procedures and other care on Saturday in Eau Claire because of the surge in COVID-19 patients.

"This situation is serious, Richard Helmers, a physician and regional vice president of the Northwest Wisconsin Region for the health system, said in in a statement. We now are at risk of overwhelming our health care system,"

Health care professionals, he said, need everyones help.

"We are pleading with community members to comply with all recommended precautionary measures to help reduce transmission of the virus among our neighbors, friends and health care workers, Helmers said in the statement.

ThedaCare which said that about a third of its affected employees are nurses made the same plea.

The health system said that people can take some simple steps, such as wearing masks and taking part in social distancing, to show support for health care workers.

Without question, hospital and other workers in health care are more likely to take precautions to limit their exposure. But they also face the same risk as everyone else of being exposed in the community.

Guidelines call for someone who has been exposed to the virus to quarantine for up to two weeks.

Health systems are taking different approaches on whether they pay employees who have to quarantine.

ProHealth Care, ThedaCare and UW Health are paying employees who have to quarantine because they have been exposed to the virus.

Hospital Sisters Health System, which has hospitals in Green Bay, Sheboygan and Eau Claire, said whether an employee must use their allotted time off when quarantined varies.

But other health systemsare requiring employees to use their paid time off their allotted mix of vacation and paid sick days while quarantining.

This includes Aurora, part of Advocate Aurora Health Care, and Ascension Wisconsin.

Employees at Ascension Wisconsin, for instance, can file for short-term disability if they must quarantine, according to information sent to employees. They can use their allotted paid time off before that kicks in and then to supplement the money they receive through short-term disability.

Hospital workers who become infected at work may be eligible for workers compensation. But they must be able to prove that they were infected at work.

Other health systems, such as Froedtert Health, did not respond to questions about their policies.

Nobody knows that health care workers arent getting this paid time, said Jamie Lucas, executive director of the WisconsinFederationof Nurses and Health Professionals.

That has been a frustration for some nurses and other workers who have had to use their allotted vacation and sick days when quarantining.

In March, the union asked health systems where it represented employees, including Aurora, Ascension Wisconsin and Aspirus, to continue to pay workers who had to quarantine, Lucas said. But the proposal was rejected.

The policies of requiring employees to use their allotted paid time off if they must quarantine could make some reluctant to report the exposure.

In a statement, Hospital Sisters Health System said,We have faith that our employees would always do what is right to protect the health and safety of their patients, colleagues and communities especially in the midst of a public health crisis.

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Hundreds of health workers across the state sidelined by COVID-19 infections, exposure - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel