Utah Gov. Gary Herbert last night announced new emergency measures to combat the state’s COVID-19 surge, including a statewide mask mandate, limiting social gatherings to immediate households, and a hold on most extracurricular activities for the next two weeks.
Intermountain Healthcare fully supports these measures. As trusted members of the healthcare community, be bold in encouraging your family members, friends, and neighbors to wear a mask, practice social distancing, not hold social activities for the next two weeks, and follow other guidelines recommended by state health officials.
“Intermountain generally, and I specifically, whole-heartedly support the measures the governor has put in place,” Intermountain President and CEO Marc Harrison, MD, says in a video message for caregivers. “As you all know, we’re experiencing unprecedented hospital and specifically ICU volumes. This is not sustainable. I’m very proud of the work that you’re doing. I’m proud of your courage and your skill. Now, I need you to also be leaders in the community in support of the measures the governor has put in place. People watch you. They see you as experts. They listen to you. I need you to be role models. I need you to be leaders. Together, we can make a difference—not only in the health of our neighbors, but in the attitudes of our communities.”
Intermountain Chief Physician Executive Mark Briesacher, MD, joined the Utah Hospital Association and physician leaders of all Utah’s major health systems in a news conference earlier today to voice approval for the governor’s measures and to emphasize why the changes are so important right now.
“At our biggest hospitals in the Intermountain system, we’re 90 percent full in our ICUs,” Dr. Briesacher said. “We’re adding ICU beds and adding staffing now. These next couple of weeks are going to be very challenging. I would submit that we’re at our tipping point today. We’re beyond our normal capacity for caring for patients. That’s why it’s so important that we take action today.”
Data collected by the Utah Department of Health indicates the spread of COVID-19 is happening most often in homes and in social gatherings. Intermountain caregivers see and experience first-hand how families are affected when someone they love becomes ill, or worse, dies from this disease. This is why you need to be a leader in taking action. This is a difficult ask. The request to not hold social gatherings comes at a time when we’re all used to getting together with family and friends.
“I have great confidence that by working together, we’re going to get through this great challenge,” Marc says. “Together, we’ll prevail.” Watch Marc’s full message.