Foghorn said:

caliking said:

SmokenBonesATX said:

saluki2007 said:

My wife is a CRNA as well Mike.  Not only are they the ones doing what's described above, they are also the one's telling dip-sheet surgeons that the cases they are trying to push through are not critical and cancel the cases.  It's amazing how many surgeons across the country are doing this.  One was trying to get a c-section done on a woman who was 35 weeks pregnant because she didn't want to risk there not being any blood available in case something went wrong.  You might ask why would an OB doctor be worried about this, they wouldn't.  The patient is having their family practice doctor do it.  That's right, people still use family practice doctor's for major surgeries.

As a health care worker and a surgeon, all of the above is true. I have a tremendous amount of respect for my anesthesia colleagues and our group has been doing our best to support them. But it’s unfair to characterize all surgeons as “trying to push through” cases. Our hospital does over 500 elective surgeries a month. All of the surgeons across every specialty voluntarily stopped every elective, non-critical procedure 4 days before we were mandated to by our national leadership. We have surgeons volunteering to learn critical care medicine to support patients on ventilators and to work in the ER screening people. And yes, I still have to take call. I’m still the one that gets called when you need it most. We’re not all “dip-sheets.” Some of us get up every day, put ourselves in harms way, and then potentially bring that harm home to our families and children. 

Right now we need more positivity in the world. I’d ask for some grace and patience with our health care workers. Your support goes a long way. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated supplies. Your kindness is not unnoticed. 

Stay kind. Stay calm. Wash your hands. We can beat this. 

I’ll add a +1 to this. Many of us are making hard decisions, in different spheres of life. Out of compulsion. Out of need. Out of a sense of duty to others. 

Not a surgeon, but all non emergent cases have been cancelled here. Last week, chief of Anesthesiology called to discuss cancelling procedures, and I couldn’t cancel one in good conscience. She asked one question - would I want the procedure done if it were my child, and the answer was an immediate “yes“ for this one. The kid in question had been bouncing around from doctor to doctor, and suffering, for 3 years. I couldn’t say that it would be okay for her to suffer a few months longer. 

I may have taken a risk. Maybe not. But I don’t regret it. 

Yeah, 2 weeks ago we started using the criteria of "Will the patient sustain any significant disability, discomfort, or worse outcome if the case is delayed 90 days?".  Based on that one of our surgical oncologists cancelled 9 of her 10 planned thyroid cases - but did the large goiter that was causing some symptoms.  Our elective surgeons cancelled about 80% of their scheduled hernia operations and only did the most symptomatic or those most at risk of incarcerating and obstructing.  Most cancer operations (except thyroid as that rarely kills people and a 90 day delay isn't a problem) continued if the patient wanted to - many did not.  However, some of the private groups (dip-sheets?) saw this as an opportunity to do even more cases and gain market share.  That must have been going on in other cities around the state because earlier this week the Texas Medical Board came out with a statement that anybody continuing to do purely elective cases would risk loss of license.

GATraveller said:

ColbyLang said:

Went to Home Depot yesterday. Needed something for work as we are food manufacturers and are essential. 150 people there shopping like it was a regular weekend. Couldn’t believe it 

The Home Depots here are only allowing a few in at a time. 

JohnInCarolina said:

GATraveller said:

ColbyLang said:

Went to Home Depot yesterday. Needed something for work as we are food manufacturers and are essential. 150 people there shopping like it was a regular weekend. Couldn’t believe it 

The Home Depots here are only allowing a few in at a time. 

I didn't see it for myself but my understanding is that Costco is doing the same.  Might be nation-wide.  

HeavyG said:

Could be some interesting lawsuits coming with various states blocking travel between other states/cities/etc.

Gulfcoastguy said:

I just read in the paper that we have had the first Corvid fatality in our county. They said that he wasn’t a county or even State resident. The thing was that the hospital that he(or she) died in is about 400 feet from my back door.