Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Primary Care Practices In Western North Carolina: Adaptation To The Covid-19 Pandemic And Ongoing Challenges, Hannah R. Friedman, Joseph Konstanzer, Erica Richman, Brian Cass, Bryan Hodge, Sheri Denslow, Jacqueline Halladay

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for primary care practices while also highlighting their importance in the pandemic response. To understand primary care practice needs, a survey was conducted of practices in Western North Carolina.

Methods

Phase 2 of a primary care needs assessment was administered to 63 practices in Western North Carolina over the course of six weeks, from July 23 to August 31, 2021.

Results

Most practices were operating with normal hours, though some still operated with reduced hours. Many practices reported insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies. While most practices provided at least some care …

Obesity, Race, And Covid-19 Mortality: Results From A Large Cohort Early In The Pandemic, Eric K. Shaw, Anyul Ferez-Pinzon, Micah Mabe, Mike Flynn, Christopher K. Senkowski

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Obesity has increased progressively in the United States and is a known risk factor for several diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, stroke and hypertension. Amid the current pandemic, concerns have been raised about obesity as a risk factor for COVID-19 positive patients. The primary goal of this study was to explore the association between obesity and hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. Our secondary objective was to explore the relationship between obesity and race on hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis using data from 186 hospitals from across the United …

Clinical Characteristics And Laboratory Biomarkers For Patients With Suspected Covid-19 Infection Within Hca Healthcare, Scott Gutovitz, Justin Hanson, Christian Vandever, Dietrich Jehle

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

The coronavirus infection (COVID-19), also known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), caused significant illness and a worldwide pandemic beginning in 2020. Early case reports showed common patient characteristics, clinical variables and laboratory values in these patients. We compared a large population of American COVID-19 patients to see if they had similar findings to these smaller reports. In addition, we examined our population to identify any differences between mild or severe COVID-19 infections.

Methods

We retrospectively accessed a de-identified, multi-hospital database managed by HCA Healthcare to identify all adult emergency department (ED) patients that were tested …

A Call To Action: Preventing Opioid And Substance Abuse In South Florida Youth, Julie A. Jacko, Katherine P. Cohen, Cathaerina Appadoo, Arkene S. Levy, Timothy F. Page, Michael J. Parker, Solina Pierre-Gilles, Francois Sainfort

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

The opioid crisis poses a substantial threat to youth throughout the nation. This crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, reversing some of the positive national trends in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Some risk factors for youth opioid use have been identified nationally. The South Florida tri-county region of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach is a culturally distinct region which may not follow national trends and likely has unique risk and protective factors. To address the concerning spike in youth opioid use in South Florida, a community coalition was formed to identify factors unique to South Florida …