In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago built a new hospital tower above its existing structure with an eye toward future events that could cause a massive surge in patients.
Nearly two decades later, the coronavirus pandemic has proven its first real test.
The butterfly-shaped bed tower "allows us to cut and expand our capacity as needed to accommodate patients if there is a significant natural disaster, pandemic, or a terrorist act," Tatyana Popkova, chief strategy officer for the health system, told Cheddar.
The hospital has been able to raise its capacity more than 130 percent since the outbreak started, raising bed capacity, intake capabilities, and negative pressure units, which help avoid cross-contamination within the hospital and protect staff.
The way negative pressure units work is that when a door opens into a unit, air from the hall rushes into the room rather from the room out into the hall, creating a vacuum seal on whatever germs might be floating around in the unit.
The Rush Emergency Department has three 20-bed units with separate air systems. Every bed is also divided by walls and a door, rather than a curtain.
The emergency department has also been converted to handle "rapid triage and screening of potential coronavirus patients in ambulance bays," according to the hospital.
Popkova noted that the hospital has been preparing for coronavirus since February, well before much of America understood the extent of the pandemic. As a result, she said it's well stocked with personal protective equipment.
She added that she's cautiously optimistic, based on the current rate of infection, that Rush will be prepared for the influx.
Outside of its layout, the hospital has gotten notice for its innovation in telehealth.
"We've been one of the earliest hospital systems in Chicago to launch a telemedicine on-demand platform, and the COVID-19 pandemic put it to the test," Popkova said. "We're happy to report that we have converted about 70 percent of all of our traditional patients into telehealth visits."
Keeping regular patients at home has helped the hospital open up more room for coronavirus patients, she said.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
At the core of the ongoing government shutdown is a fight over the decision to end subsidies that let some 12 million Americans get health coverage.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
