Houston Healthcare shares insight on COVID-19 pandemic

While the full extent of COVID-19 pandemic in Houston County is uncertain, we know it is here and it is very real.

We acknowledge the risks our employees and medical staff are taking to care for their fellow Central Georgia residents. Overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic will require significant effort from everyone. Houston Healthcare urges all Georgia residents to adhere to Governor Kemp’s Shelter in Place order now in effect. This is the most important action we can all take to assist in fighting this pandemic.

We are grateful to all who have shown their support to Houston Healthcare. The outpouring of food, masks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other efforts too numerous to list, has been amazing. Additionally, the numerous cards and thank you notes left on employee vehicles from members of the community and the drive-through Prayer Events have been inspiring and uplifting.

The Department of Health requires COVID-19 positive results to be reported immediately. The facilities of Houston Healthcare are fully cooperative with officials from GEMA, FEMA, CDC, the Georgia Department of Public Health and others. We submit requested data to these organizations daily and are in full communication with them regarding the latest updates.

Our medical staff and employees have put in countless hours of dedicated work to care for our community during this pandemic. Supporting our staff and the patients under our care has been and continues to be our primary focus. As the duration of the pandemic increases and assurances of individual patient privacy can be maintained, Houston will be providing COVID-19 statistics to the community moving forward. These indicators will be updated on a daily basis, accessible from our website: https://www.hhc.org/.

Houston Healthcare COVID-19 Update

Houston Healthcare’s latest results on COVID-19 as of 10:00 a.m. on 4/6/20 are as follows:

Positive test results: 51

Current Positive inpatient cases: 17 Houston Medical Center: 17 Perry Hospital: 0

Total deaths: 13 Houston County: 7

From surrounding counties: 6

There have been 267 COVID-19 tests administered, with 44 awaiting independent outside lab results. The total number of positive tests represents 22.9% of total tests resulted.

The numbers reported by Houston Healthcare reflect cases that have been tested and/or treated within our health system, regardless of the county of patient origin.

Important links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html Federal Emergency Management Agency: https://www.fema.gov/ Georgia Emergency Management Agency: https://gema.georgia.gov/coronavirus Georgia Department of Public Health: https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus

North Central Health District: https://northcentralhealthdistrict.org/

Houston Healthcare is committed to the safety of our health care workers, medical staff members, patients and the community. All persons needing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the completion of their tasks or treatments are provided the appropriate PPE required. Currently, PPE is in short supply nationwide, and Houston Healthcare is no different in that regard. This is a very real issue and one which we are addressing every single day.

Our inventory changes constantly as supplies are used and new shipments arrive. We have sufficient supply on hand for the near future and we are sourcing PPE from new sources every day.

Faced with a shortage of gowns, a group of our employees got together and started making our own for the benefit of the front-line clinicians. This group has produced as many as 800 gowns in a single day. Their dedicated effort will go on as long as necessary.

Members of our community have also shown their outstanding support of and dedication to Houston Healthcare by sending us homemade masks, cards, food and other items of comfort. In particular, the masks are being used by staff and visitors to help extend the life and supply of the masks we have in stock.

HHJ News