CURVE.
CURVE. SO, HOSPITALS ARE IN THE THICK
OF IT.
OF IT.
OF IT. IF
OF IT. IF YOU WE KNOW A LOVED ONE ARE
YOU JUST SEE ON SOCIAL 4@MEDIA,
THEY ARE WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK THIS WEEK.
OUR GEORGIA HOSPITAL TOLD ITS
WORKERS IF THEY ARE NOT SHOWING
ANY SYMPTOMS, TO GO AHEAD AND
KEEP WORKING WITHOUT EVEN
KNOWING IF THEY HAD TESTED
POSITIVE FOR THE VI4@RUS.
BUT, AGAIN, THEY DID NOT SHOW
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS. SO, THAT SPARKED BACKLASH FROM
PEOPLE, LOVED ONES AND THOSE
EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES, 4@AND
11ALIVE EXCLUSIVE FOR YOU
TONIGHT, WHY THAT POLICY
CHANGED AFTER 4@WE STARTED ASKI
SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: THE PROBLEM IS
THAT UNTIL THE TEST COMES BACK
POSITIVE, NURSES ARE BEING TOLD
TO SECURE4@ WITHOUT ANY
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. >> Reporter: A GEORGIA NURSE
SAYS SHE IS WORRIED HEALTHCARE
WORKERS ARE BEING EXPOSED TO
COVID-19 ON THE JOB.
AND HOSPITALS ARE HAVING TO
MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, BECAUSE
OF A SHORTAGE OF VITAL MEDICAL
COMMENT.4@
COMMENT.4@ AND NOW, A MEMO TO HOSPITAL
STAFF AT PHOEBE HEALTH IN
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA ON MONDAY, IS
RAISING EVEN MORE CONCERNS.
THE LETTER4@ POSTED ON SOCIAL
MEDIA SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIRES ALL
HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO BE TESTED
FO4@R COVID-19.
FO4@R COVID-19. EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT SHOWING
ANY SYMPTOMS OF THE VIRUS.
AND EVEN IF THEY DO TEST
POSITIVE, THEY SHOULD CONTINUE
WORKING4@, AS LONG AS THEY'RE
SYMPTOM-FREE.4@
SYMPTOM-FREE.4@ >> WE HAD A VERY LONG, ANIMATED
CONVERSATION WITH THE LOCAL
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WITH THE
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ASKING
THEM TO RECONSIDER4@4@ WHAT
POSITION THAT WOULD PUT US IN
AND ANY HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION
IN, AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY 4@FE
LIKE THEY WERE UNDER A FEDERAL
MANDATE TO DO THAT.
>> Reporter: SCOTT STEINER IS
CEO OF PH4@OEBE HEALTH.
>> THE CDC STILL RECOMMENDS
THAT YOU CAN WORK AS LONG AS
YOU WEAR A MASK THE 4@ENTIRE TI
THAT YOU ARE WORKING.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE NURSES
AND DOCTORS, TELL ME WHO IS
GOING TO CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS?
>> Reporter: DINNERS 4@AT ANOTH
GEORGIA HOSPITAL ECHOES
CONCERNS ABOUT THE WORK
REQUIREMENT.4@ 4@
REQUIREMENT.4@ 4@ >> M I AN A SYMPTOMATIC CARRIER
OF THE VIRU4@S BEING TOLD TO
STILL WORK?
STILL WORK? WHAT WE ARE BEING TO4@LD US IF
ARE NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF
INFECTION WE SHOULD STILL WORK.
AND THAT IS REGARDLESS OF HOW4@
GREAT OUR EXPOSURE HAS BEEN.
>> IT IS NOT A PERFECT
SITUATION.
SITUATION. >> Reporter: HE SAYS DTH SIGNED
OFF ON THE ORIGINAL MEMO TO
EMPLOYEES, REQUIRING THEM TO
KEEP WORKING EVEN IF THEY TEST
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
DTH TELLS THE REVEAL IT WAS A
MISTAKE THAT UNFORTUNATELY WAS
NOT CAUGHT IN THE AP4@PROVAL
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
PROCESS. >> THAT IS THE OTHER PIECE OF
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. EVERYBODY IS LOOKING FOR THE
EXACT RIGHT ANSWER AND THERE IS
NONE.
NONE.
NONE. I
NONE. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY,
HEY, IF YOU TESTED POSITIVE, GO
HOME, YOU 4@KNOW, TAKE WHATEVER
IT IS, SEVEN DAYS OR TWO WEEKS,
BUT AGAIN, REMEMBER, WE HAVE TO
RUN 4@A HOSPITAL HERE.
OTHERWISE, WE WOULD HAVE TO
SHUT DOWN. AND MOST
ORGANIZATIONS ARE IN THAT SAME
POSITION.
POSITION.
POSITION. >> Reporter: CONCERNS ABOUT THE
ORIGINAL MEMO HAS NOW FORCED
CHANGES AT PHOEBE HEALTH AND
BECAUSE THE CDC IS GIVING LOCAL
AUTHORITIES SOME FLEXIBILITY TO
AVOID STAFFING SHORTAGES, DPH
SAYS4@ ONCE CONFIRMED IT IS
POSITIVE, ANY STAFF MEMBER MUST
BE EXCLUDED FROM THE HOSPITAL
AND REMAIN IN ISOLATION PE4@R
ROUTINE PROTOCOL.4@
ROUTINE PROTOCOL.4@ THEY SHOULD ONLY WORK IF THEY
ARE ASYMPTOMATIC OR WAITING FOR
THEIR COVID-19 TEST RESULTS AND
HAVE PROPER PROTECTIVE GEAR.
>> WE ARE OPERATING BY THE BEST
INFORMATION WE HAVE FROM THE
CDC, UNDER AGENCIES, AND JUST
AGAIN, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR STAFF IS SAFE, THAT WE ARE
TAKING CARE OF THEM, AND THAT
WE ARE ABLE TO FOCUS ON TAKING
CARE OF ALL OF 4@OUR PATIENTS.
>> Reporter: KELLY HALSEY WITH
PIEDMONT HEALTH SAYS ITS
EMPLOYEES ARE NOT SHOWING
SYMPTOMS, THEY CAN STILL WORK,
BUT THEY ARE NOT BEING TESTED
UNTIL THEY SHOW SYMPTOMS.
EMERY AND GRADY HOSPITAL ALSO
4@
EMERY AND GRADY HOSPITAL ALSO SAY THEY ARE NOT 4@TESTING
HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO ARE NOT
SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
SHOWING SYMPTOMS. CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE AND WILL
START SAY EMPLOYEES CAN STAY
HOME IF THEY SHOW SYMPTOMS.
IN A SEA OF MUDDLE4@D MESSAGES,
ALL THE HEALTHCARE WORKERS WE
TALKED TO SAY THEY ARE STILL
DOING THE BEST THEY CAN IN A
GROWING PANDEMIC.
GROWING PANDEMIC. AT PHOEBE HEALTH, ONCE A STAFF
MEMBER IS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS,
THEY CAN ONLY WORK WITH COVERT
POSITIVE AND SUSPECTED
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> WHAT WE TELL OUR PATIENTS IS
THEIR SAFETY AND THEIR
HEALTHCARE IS OUR MOST
IMPORTANT ITEM AND THAT WE
WOULD NEVER PUT THEM
INTENTIONALLY AT RISK.
THAT THE MEASURES WE HAVE PUT 4@
INTO PLACE TO PROTECT THEM AND
TO PROTECT OUR STAFF4@, 4@TO
PROTECT OUR DOCTORS, OUR WHAT
THE CDC AND EXPERTS HAVE
RECOMMENDED.4@4@
RECOMMENDED.4@4@ >> Reporter: PHOEBE HEALTH SAYS
SEVERAL HUNDRED WORKERS WHO DID
NOT SHOW SYMPTOMS DID ASK TO BE
TESTED.
TESTED.
TESTED. THEY ARE NOW WAITING FOR THOSE
RESULTS TO COME BACK.
SO, WE REACHED OUT TO THE CDC
TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE