Medical center takes proactive measures

Tuesday, Houston Healthcare published a post on its Facebook page, which showed tents set up on the outside of the Emergency Room entrance in Warner Robins. The tents, the post explained, are meant, “to assist with efficient triage of patients while separating potential COVID-19 patients from those not showing symptoms.”

Chief Nursing Officer Shellisa Houston Martin further explained that the tents were raised in an act of preparation in the case that there is a surge of patients seeking medical attention.

“We wanted to make sure we had everything prepped and ready to take care of as many patients as we have to take care of during this crisis time,” Martin said.

Martin shared that when in use; there will be two separate tents. One tent, Martin explained, will be used for patients who are not showing symptoms of COVID-19 and are seeking medical attention for other things, like a broken arm. The second tent will be reserved for those who may have the virus. Martin said that this measure is to assure that patients are isolated from those that may have the virus.

“We are separating the flow of patients that way, just as a protective mechanism for the community,” Martin explained. In addition, she shared that after the triage tents, patients that are suspected to have or do have the virus would be treated via the main emergency room. Martin said that those who are not suspected to have the virus would be treated in either the assigned tent or a specified area of the emergency room, such as the fast track area, separate from patients that have or may have COVID-19.

“What we really don’t ever want to do is expose anybody who hasn’t already been exposed. We want to keep as many healthy people in the community as possible,” Martin said.

To be further prepared for a possible surge of patients, Martin noted that the hospital has expanded bed capacity to allow other areas to be used for patients with the virus, if the need arises.

Martin also urged the community to take the situation seriously, that she has seen a lot of people out in public unnessasarily. Martin also advocated for measures such as hand washing and social distancing.

“Keep to the rules that have been designated to ensure that we don’t have additional exposures that are unnecessary,” Martin said.

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