The Governor’s Office announced today that Dr. Bono will be staying on in Washington thru the end of August in an expanded role as the Director of COVID-19 Pandemic Health Response.  She will work with the Governor, Secretary Wiesman and others to create a sustainable structure for the ongoing response. Some of the key responsibilities will include:

• Testing and testing resources – Operationalize the testing plans, mobilizing the health care delivery system to provide population-based testing and ensuring access to underserved populations. As new testing methods come on board (e.g., home testing) make sure they get operationalized. Fully implement testing in the LTCF. Ensure dashboards are developed.
• Respiratory season surge capacity – Develop a health care system plan and provide recommendations to prepare Washington state for the anticipated fall surge of COVID-19 cases.
• Flu vaccine delivery planning – Develop a plan, in concert with the DOH immunization program, and provide recommendations to prepare Washington state for the anticipated fall surge of flu cases. This should include ensuring supply chain for needed flu vaccination supplies and health care system plans for administering flu vaccine in the context of potential COVID-19 infection.
• COVID vaccine delivery planning – Develop a plan and provide recommendations to prepare Washington state for the anticipated COVID-19 vaccine.
• PPE and supply chain management – Assess the current system for PPE and test kit acquisition and distribution and provide recommendations to modernize the state’s acquisition, tracking, and distribution systems for PPE, testing supplies, and home delivery of isolation and quarantine care packages.  After approval, implement.
• Isolation and quarantine – Monitor public facility plans and make recommendations on the existing plan.
• Long Term Care – Provide technical assistance and advise DSHS.
• Work with Incident command on data visualization resources that support decision making.

A key part of this job is to engage, coordinate, and consult with key stakeholders and partners to solicit input prior to decision-making. They really appreciated the engagement of the partners in LTC and look forward to continuing that relationship.

Questions?

Contact:

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804