Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Sonoma Valley Hospital’s CEO Community Update
A brief update on challenges we’re having at your Sonoma Valley Hospital. Very similar to January of this year, Covid is spreading rapidly through our community. It is infecting and reinfecting residents at alarming speed. Fortunately, the increased infection rate has not led to dramatic increases in hospitalizations. That is not to say we should let our guard down. While researchers continue to study the effects of the virus, there are indications that the virus impacts various systems in our body. One of the most concerning is the potential effect on our neurologic systems. Various studies around the world are showing a connection between Covid and conditions such as Alzheimer, dementia, and stroke. It may take time to validate these early studies, the data alone is concerning. Given we don’t know the long-term impacts, avoidance is the best course of action.
The hospital has been impacted in this surge as well. Earlier this year, January 2022, 35% of hospitals1 in California experienced staffing shortages. June is proving more of the same. The wonderfully committed staff at SVH are working overtime to insure you have access to the care you need.
We can proudly say that your hospital is ready to receive you 24/7, despite the challenges. Additionally, we continue to work very closely with other hospitals in the immediate area including UCSF Health to ensure the best care 24/7.
During this time, outpatient services such as rehabilitation and diagnostics (lab and medical imaging) are experiencing longer wait times and non-emergent care may be rescheduled. We are doing our best to inform patients of rescheduling needs or appointment changes with as much notice as possible. We ask for your patience during these extraordinary times.
For additional information, please contact us at administration@sonomavalleyhospital.org or by calling 707.935.5257.
Sincerely,
John
John Hennelly, CEO
Sonoma Valley Hospital
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1Becker’s Hospital Review, January 14, 2022, LINK: https://bit.ly/3Au0xTZ