In the News

A drug that is showing some early success in treating severe cases of COVID-19 is now being studied in trials by Hennepin Healthcare. The Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute has launched two trials to study the safety of remdesivir.

“We are proud to be a site that’s conducting research on this … treatment,” Jason Baker, Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute’s primary investigator, said in a statement.

Dr. Doug Brunette is the senior medical director for emergency and trauma services, and emergency department physician at Hennepin Healthcare in downtown Minneapolis.

A fundraising appeal helmed by its OB-GYN chairwoman, Dr. Tara Gustilo, clinches thousands of dollars’ worth of medical supplies for pregnant patients.

“I’m a little nervous because then people are going to be taking more of the masks away from the healthcare providers,” said Natalie Ikeman, a family physician with Hennepin Healthcare. “We want to protect our healthcare workers by keeping the resources at the hospitals and the clinics were we need them most.”

“We could get by without needing any extra ventilators, or we might need 10 times the number we have,” said Dr. John Hick, a Minneapolis doctor who is helping lead the state’s medical response.

Natalie Ikeman, a physician’s assistant at Hennepin Health Care, said masks and gloves are another layer of protection.

Some people have interpreted the rule to mean that you can still get together in large groups as long as everyone is six feet away from each other. Doctors say that’s not a good idea.

“Six feet is kind of a general recommendation,” Dr. James Miner says. Miner is the chair of emergency medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center. He says the six-foot rule is only an educated guess.

“Early April is kind of going to be our tipping point,” said Dr. John Hick, medical director of Hennepin Healthcare and the Metro Health & Medical Preparedness Coalition that is mapping out a metro-wide response to the pandemic.

This week may be a relatively quiet in terms of hospitals fielding new cases of coronavirus, but “our anticipation is they’ll get tougher next week, and then really ramp up after that,” said Dr. John Hick, a physician at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

Being a respiratory virus, Hennepin Healthcare emergency director Dr. John Hick says the most noticeable symptoms are a fever and a dry cough.

“Right now, it’s doubling in the community every five to seven days,” said Dr. John Hick, Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness for HCMC.

Psychologist Dr. Talee Vang:  “People who are helpers may not take the time to help themselves. Healthcare workers can help themselves by being open to help.”

MPR News host Kerri Miller talked with a health policy researcher and a health care executive about the state of hospital preparedness and what health care providers need to care for patients. Guest Dr. David Hilden is vice president of medical affairs at Hennepin Healthcare.

At HCMC in Minneapolis, leaders have backup plans if ventilators are all in use, such as pulling ventilator equipment off ambulances or repurposing devices that deliver anesthesia, but there are limits.

“We don’t want to get there,” said Dr. John Hick, an HCMC physician and emergency preparedness expert. “It’s really important that we do our best to try and control the spread of this disease.”

“Make no mistake, we don’t want you to panic, because the vast majority of these cases are mild, but worry enough to take precautions and take care of yourselves and take care of your family members,” said Dr. John Hick.

Dr. John Hick, the medical director for emergency preparedness for the Hennepin County Medical Center, said that, while we have seen pandemics before, this time is different and, despite the advantages of modern medicine, the outbreak will put a huge burden on health care providers.

Health officials at Hennepin County Medical Center say the outbreak of the new coronavirus is going to put a huge burden on health care providers in the state.

Hennepin Healthcare’s Dr. Caitlin Eccles-Radtke answers questions about COVID-19.