Robyn Begley, AONL CEO and American Hospital Association (AHA) senior vice president and chief nursing officer this week responded to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about coronavirus infections in hospitals, noting the Journal did not include the many steps hospitals and health systems have enacted to treat COVID-19 patients and stop virus transmission. In a blog, she noted the hospital field has made significant changes in recent years to improve treatment and prevent transmission of infectious disease. This includes regularly training caregivers on proper infection control practices and a successful track record of treating patients with infectious diseases. As a result of this training and experience, hospitals and health systems had many tools to address a global health pandemic and immediately put them to work. “Hospitals and health systems will always remain vigilant to the next threat,” Begley wrote, “and will continue to take the lead in safeguarding the public against potential threats.” (AHA blog, 7/7/20)
