“Let common sense and factual information guide your actions…”
Parents, family members, and caregivers of residents at The Center for Discovery were privileged to hear from a leader and partner in the healthcare industry during this week’s pandemic update.
TCFD Associate Executive Director Dr. Theresa Hamlin sat down, virtually, with Jeffrey Kraut, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Analytics at Northwell Health, The Center’s new strategic and research partner, to discuss the state of the county, safety, and reopening. For more on the partnership – please read https://tinyurl.com/y9eanjd8.
Kraut has vast experience in the field of health planning, policy, and data analytics across New York State. He is the chair of the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC), an associate dean of strategy for the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Kraut has been instrumental in the development of Northwell into the most extensive healthcare system in New York, with more than 72,000 employees and 800 hospitals and care centers. And, he has been a homeowner in Sullivan County for a decade.
The around-the-clock work of Jeffrey Kraut’s team of data analytic experts has been key to understanding the unfolding of the pandemic and the subsequent development of plans to protect frontline workers, patients, and the public.
He cautioned everyone about the reopening of the state. In regards to personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, he said, “It’s too soon to consider not using them.” He added, “Let common sense and factual information guide your actions. Prayers and hope are not a strategy. The knowledge is still being developed. Do things that are prudent.”
Kraut also discussed the use of COVID-19 antibody tests by Northwell, which he says are 90-95% effective and useful in tracking the virus, but also potentially important in understanding why some people become so sick and why others remain asymptomatic. Northwell has done at least 55,000 tests so far on the New York City Police Department, New York City Fire Department, in churches, and their hospitals. They are now offering those serology tests on campus to TCFD residents and staff.
Kraut applauded The Center for also using data to drive decision-making. Of the partnership, he said, “We are culturally very similar. We are both leaders in the field and always thinking two steps ahead on the chessboard.”
To watch the entire interview, please visit Webinar Discussion: Terry Hamlin & Jeffery Kraut