23 COVID-19 patients at Baptist Health Corbin but room for more

While hospitals in other parts of the state are struggling to accommodate the increase in COVID–19 patients, officials at Baptist Health Corbin say they are able to continue to provide all normal services.

Debbie Hardin, Marketing Manager at the hospital, said there are currently 23 patients at the hospital for treatment of COVID–19.

Hardin explained that negative pressure rooms are used to house COVID–19 patients, but that standard rooms may be transformed to negative pressure rooms as needed.

As a result, officials said a large spike in COVID–19 cases in the area that require hospitalization could put the hospital in the situation where its 273 beds are not sufficient to treat COVID–19 patients and deal with those with other medical needs.

“We are not there yet,” stated Anthony Powers, the hospital’s president noting that, as part of the Baptist Health System of nine hospitals it is able to share best practices, resources and supplies.

“Across the Baptist Health, we have more than 2,700 beds to care of the patients in our communities,” Powers said.

In addition, Powers said hospital staff are encouraged to practice the recommended protocols of wearing a mask and social distancing while out in public outside of the hospital.

“We urge our community members to do the same to slow the spread of COVID–19,” Powers added.

In an effort to help prevent the potential spread of COVID–19 into the facility, Baptist Health Corbin has temporary visitor restrictions in place.

Those restrictions include:

• One person may accompany a patient on an emergency room visit, but that person should wait in the car until the provider requests assistance for patient assessment, or agrees they may wait in the room with the patient.

Temperature and COVID–19 screening is required prior to entry, and a mask must be worn at all times while inside the facility.

• An additional family member may visit a critically ill patient or non-COVID–19 inpatient for limited times as indicated by hospital administration and the Clinical House Supervisor. These visits should be time limited to minimize the exposure of visitors to staff and others.
• Patients in isolation may not have visitors unless the patient’s condition is deteriorating.
• COVID–19 patients may not have visitors unless the patient’s condition deteriorates and the provider agrees. In that case, one to two family members may visit at a time.
• Patients may have one family member or legal guardian, over the age of 16, visit.
• Visitation hours are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to keep visits to less than two hours, and not to bring in outside items.

“If the visits are brief, other family members may be screened and allowed to visit,” officials noted.

• Neonatal Intensive Care visitors are limited to one or both parents.
• In the labor and delivery and mother/baby units, visitation is not permitted by anyone under 16, including siblings. Visitors are limited to one per patient.
• Visitors are not permitted in the cancer center, including outpatient oncology, infusion, radiation therapy and clinics.
• On visitor will be permitted to accompany surgical patients after being screened.
• One to two family members with approval, are permitted for hospice, palliative and end-of-life patients. Personal protective equipment must be worn and family members should stay in the patient’s room when possible.
• Clergy and visits from non-family members are not permitted at this time.
• Visits to patients in the behavioral health units will be determined on a case-by-case basis because of the open structure of the unit and the ability to physically distance in that setting.

Visits will be arranged for behavioral health patients by physician orders and pre-planned with staff.