Baptist Health Corbin makes urgent plea to the community as COVID-19 numbers increase

As COVID-19 hospitalizations rise and hospitals face increasingly crowded conditions, Baptist Health Corbin officials are asking the community to stop coming to the emergency department for routine tests for the COVID-19 virus.

“We are having issues with patients coming into the emergency room simply for testing. If you show up for routine testing, you will be delaying care of other patients, plus your wait will be extremely long,” said Baptist Health Corbin Medical Director David Worthy, MD.

Worthy stressed that if you truly need emergency care, to not hesitate to come to the emergency room, but if you are seeking a COVID-19 test, there are several other options available.

You can contact your primary care provider, utilize the urgent cares, contact wildhealth.com/Trillium, which is located at the Trillium Center circle at Baptist Health Corbin or wildhealthcovid19testing.as.me to find the nearest location. Free COVID 19 testing sites are listed on Community-Based Testing Sites for COVID-19 | HHS.gov.

The free Wild Health at Baptist Health Corbin COVID-19 testing clinic operates at 1 Trillium Way #5, Corbin, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily. Register at wildhealthtesting.com/trillium.

“If you are having minor symptoms such as cough, congestion and body aches, you can be treated at home in consultation with a family health provider or urgent care clinic. But more serious symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath or low oxygen levels merit a visit to the emergency room,” Worthy added.

As well as the crowded emergency department, Baptist Health Corbin is also dealing with an increasing number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as the omicron variant of the virus continues through the community.

“Please get your vaccinations, your booster, wear your masks and practice social distancing as much as possible. This is one way we can help each other,” Worthy added.

Worthy also stressed, “We are no longer administering the monoclonal antibody as a treatment for COVID-19.”

Evidence shows that Omicron is currently the dominant variant of COVID-19 in Kentucky and unfortunately, the current outpatient monoclonal IV treatment option is not effective. In light of that, the COVID-19 Monoclonal Outpatient Clinic at Baptist Health Corbin closed.

The Whitley County Health Department reported that 128 cases of COVID-19 had been reported Thursday with 348 cases active. Also, three COVID-19 related deaths identified Thursday via an audit of death certificates, according to a health department Facebook post.

Currently 42.9 percent of Whitley County is fully vaccinated, and 30.7 percent of those are also boosted, according to the health department.

Baptist Health Corbin is a 273-bed, acute care facility providing a wide variety of healthcare services to the residents of Whitley, Knox, Laurel, Bell, Clay, McCreary, Harlan and Campbell counties in Kentucky and Campbell County in Tennessee.

Part of nine-hospital Louisville, Kentucky-based Baptist Health, Baptist Health Corbin offers 36 points of care in a full continuum, from inpatient care and outpatient diagnostics to rehabilitation services and behavioral health. Services include heart care, orthopedics, pain management, wound care, cancer care, diabetic treatments, and a full range of women’s services, including obstetrics and breast care.

Baptist Health has a network of healthcare providers for patients in the southeast Kentucky area, including Baptist Health Medical Group physician offices, Baptist Health Urgent Care, and occupational medicine and physical therapy clinics. The hospital also has been Pathway to Excellence® designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.