As the President of the United States asks for all hospitals to activate their emergency plans, KSST News reached out to our local hospital to confirm the details. CHRISTUS administrator, Paul Harvey, wanted to reassure the local community that not only is there an emergency plan in place, but that it has already been implemented. Mr. Harvey stated, “Just like our disaster response plans, we have a plan in place to combat emergencies such as this.” He added that, “the entire CHRISTUS system continues to work on preparing for and implementing procedures to protect the local communities served by the CHRISTUS system.”
CHRISTUS staff is part of the Hopkins County Emergency Management team that has been working on this impending crisis. Although there have currently been no confirmed coronavirus cases, CHRISTUS staff has not had any “presumptive” cases as well. CHRISTUS continues to monitor the situation at the state and federal levels and can quickly adjust any protocols that may include testing, containment, quarantine, and treatment.
The following is a statement released on CHRISTUS website:
March 14, 2020 – 4:30 p.m.
We continue to work in solidarity with our partners in the health care community, city and county leaders, and local health authorities to ensure our community is well prepared. Together, we stand united in our commitment to keep the people we serve safe.
At CHRISTUS, we remain vigilant in responding to this evolving situation, meeting throughout the day to ensure we are prepared to respond to present and potential future needs of our community. We continue to follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines for healthcare facilities located in areas, like ours, that are not experiencing community spread. We do have emergency preparedness plans in place and are fully prepared to execute as appropriate for our community circumstances.
CHRISTUS facilities remain a safe place for all to receive quality care. While COVID-19 is new, our processes and procedures in place for infection prevention and preventing the spread of illness are not. From physicians and nurses, quality and safety experts to those responsible for ordering supplies and keeping the hospital clean — all of our Associates are involved in making sure we provide a safe environment for our patients. Every single day.
