Press release from CCMH for the week of april 6

As the number of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) cases increases across the country, Cedar County Memorial Hospital wants the community to know the safety of our patients, staff members, visitors and medical staff is our priority.  We have assembled a multidisciplinary team to closely monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and prepare our organization as best we can.  Cedar County Memorial Hospital personnel have participated in many information-sharing calls about COVID-19 and receive daily updates from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Missouri Hospital Association, the State Emergency Management Association (SEMA) and others. Cedar County Memorial Hospital and the Cedar County Health Department, which is a department of Cedar County Memorial Hospital, are also active participants in the Cedar County Emergency Management organization.  The information we are receiving daily is used to update our strategies for addressing COVID-19 based on current information. 

Cedar County Memorial Hospital understands that in times of uncertainty such as these, there are always questions.  We hope to answer many of those in the information that follows. 

We have been asked if COVID-19 testing is available through Cedar County Memorial Hospital.  The answer is Cedar County Memorial Hospital is capable of collecting specimens for COVID-19 testing in both our Medical Mall Clinic in El Dorado Springs and in our emergency room.  We then send the specimens to a COVID-19 approved laboratory where the actual testing is performed.  Most of our specimens are currently sent to Quest Diagnostics, a private clinical laboratory.  Limited testing is also available through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) State Lab.  The Cedar County Health Department’s role in testing is to work with health care providers in the county to facilitate obtaining test kits from the state for testing in the state lab.   Following an examination and based on CDC guidelines for testing, physicians in the Cedar County Memorial Hospital Medical Mall Clinic and the Cedar County Memorial Hospital emergency room may order COVID-19 testing.  “We are happy to test anyone that meets the testing guidelines,” said Mary Larsen, Cedar County Memorial Hospital Clinic Manager.  “Registration, car side evaluation and swabbing is required.  The charges are submitted to the patient’s insurance.”

Due to limited COVID-19 testing supplies across the country, the CDC has established guidelines for testing.  These guidelines were revised on March 24, 2020, and include the following priority levels.  Priority 1 includes hospitalized patients and symptomatic healthcare workers in an effort to lessen the risk of nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections and to maintain the integrity of the healthcare system.  To ensure that those who are at highest risk of complication of infection are rapidly identified and appropriately triaged, Priority 2 includes patients in long-term care facilities with symptoms, patients 65 years of age and older with symptoms, patients with underlying conditions with symptoms and first responders with symptoms.  Priority 3 includes critical infrastructure workers with symptoms, individuals who do not meet any of the above categories with symptoms, health care workers and first responders and individuals with mild symptoms in communities experiencing high COVID-19 hospitalizations.  Priority 3 testing will occur as resources allow.  Reference:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.  The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to avoid exposure to the virus.  The virus is believed to primarily spread from person-to-person from people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet of one another).  There are basic steps you can take to protect yourself.  These steps as outlined by the CDC include:  (1) cleaning your hands often (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol); avoiding close contact with people who are sick; staying home if you are sick, except to seek medical care; covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze with a tissue or using the inside of your elbow; wearing a facemask if you are sick when are around other people; and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces on a daily basis.  For more detailed information from the CDC, please reference https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html.

If you do become ill, Cedar County Memorial Hospital asks that you follow these guidelines.

• People with mild respiratory symptoms should stay home. Most people with COVID-19 have mild illness and are able to recover at home without medical care. If your symptoms worsen, reach out to your doctor by telephone to let them know your symptoms. They may want to arrange for you to be tested for influenza.  The Cedar County Memorial Hospital Medical Mall Clinic in El Dorado Springs can be reached at 417/876-3333.  Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms is asked to call ahead before going to the Clinic.  The Clinic has implemented an alternative screening process for any suspected COVID-19 patients. 

• If you test negative for flu, you should treat the illness as though it’s COVID-19 and, if your symptoms are manageable, immediately self-isolate. Stay away from family members and don’t go out in the public.

• If symptoms are severe, like difficulty breathing, seek emergency care.  The Cedar County Memorial Hospital emergency room can be reached at 417/876-2511.  If you are coming to the emergency room, please let us know you’re on your way so that we can provide instruction and prepare for your arrival.  We have specific plans in place for caring for patients with suspected COVID-19, while protecting those seeking medical care for other needs. 

Patients with COVID-19 symptoms seeking care in the Cedar County Memorial Hospital Emergency Room are asked to ring the buzzer at the emergency room entrance so that they can receive a COVID-19 screening before entering the facility.  As is the case with all patients presenting to the emergency room, patients with COVID-19 symptoms will receive a medical screening examination.  If designated waiting areas for patients with suspected COVID-19 are full, patients determined to be non-emergent may be asked to provide a cell phone number and to wait in their vehicle until it is their turn for further evaluation. 

Evaluation will include physician determination of the need for COVID-19 testing.   Patients who are tested for COVID-19 and are able to care for themselves at home will be asked to self-isolate—this means staying at home and keeping away from other people.  The need for hospitalization will also be determined by the physician. If hospitalization is not medically necessary, home care is preferable if the individual’s situation allows.

It is important to note that Cedar County Memorial Hospital has one negative pressure room (isolation room) and one ventilator; both are resources needed to care for seriously ill COVID-19 inpatients.  The hospital also has never had an intensive care unit in its nearly sixty years of operation.  Therefore, once our limited capacity is met, arrangements will be made for transfer to a large tertiary care center.  We do have the capabilities to intubate those patients requiring a ventilator and to provide stabilizing care until transport is available.  To take some of the pressure off of tertiary care centers, Cedar County Memorial Hospital, like other rural hospitals across the county, stands ready to accept transfer of patients whose hospital recovery can continue in the rural hospital setting. 

Understanding how to meet COVID-19 head-on is an evolving process.  Cedar County Memorial Hospital and the Cedar County Health Department are working to disseminate information to the public. Due to the emergency declaration by Cedar County Emergency Management on March 19, all information put forth by the hospital, health department and other local emergency and public safety officials must first be approved by Cedar County Emergency Management as we strive to provide consistent information to the public. 

“We are all in this together,” said Cedar County Memorial Hospital C.E.O, Jana Witt.    “The actions of one person can affect the health of many.  Please observe social distancing and all CDC guidance for protecting yourself and the community from COVID-19.”  For more information from the CDC, please go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Your health is our top priority. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.