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Iowa's new patient transfer line to ease stress on hospital systems

The transfer line will allow hospital staff to devote their time to treating patients in their care.

DES MOINES, Iowa — The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the world functions on almost every level, but some of the biggest innovations have been in the medical field. 

Efficiency and innovation are the two best words to describe how hospital leaders in the state are combatting the virus.

This month, MercyOne is leading the charge in creating a hospital transfer line. 

The announcement came during Gov. Kim Reynolds' Wednesday press conference

The transfer line will make it easier for hospitals to transfer patients with just a simple phone call.

"You know hospitals often transfer patients to another hospital for different level of care, and we do that all the time," Bob Ritz, CEO of MercyOne, said during the press conference. "But during the pandemic with these episodic waves of patient of infections and surges, the bed supply gets tighter, and the difficulty and transfer of patient is remarkably different."  

Transferring a patient before the coronavirus hit was more time-consuming. 

First, a hospital would admit a patient. If the patient needed to move to a higher level of care, the hospital would go through the normal chain of affiliates by making calls, negotiating the physical transportation of the patient and briefing the new doctor on the patient's status. 

"So that's where this statewide availability line is going to help with that," said Shawna Gunn, a team member at MercyOne who helped set up the transfer line. 

The new line follows the same sort of method, but instead of nurses inside the hospital answering the phones, there will be National Guard and out-of-state nurses coming in to help monitor the lines. 

This transfer line will directly impact Iowans. 

"If a facility is not successful in finding a bed quickly, that could be a patient dissatisfier. Really, you want to put the patient in the right bed so they can get the right care," Gunn said.

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