(WXYZ) In the middle of this pandemic and with the civil unrest still simmering across the nation due to the Capitol insurrection and now the George Floyd trial, first responders are under tremendous stress.

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That's why as a community service Ascension Michigan brings a mobile unit to our local police and fire departments to screen for the number one killer of men and women, but what they're uncovering goes far beyond.

Novi Police Officer Tim Farrell has been suiting up in the blue for 31 years. For him, it's a calling especially when someone's life in on the line, as it was during a recent motorcycle accident.

"We were able to save a gentleman's life; he lost two limbs," said Officer Farrell.

Now our men and women in blue and fire rescue are under more stress than ever before.

"Stress can play a significant role in any person's health especially in a police officer who will go to work every day wondering if he is going to come home alive," said Dr. Jerome Seid, a medical oncologist with Ascension Michigan.

According to the online database ScienceDirect.com, 80-percent of first responders report dealing with traumatic events on the job, and nearly 15 percent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We see a lot of good things and we see some sad things as well," said Farrell.

Death, car accidents, police shootings -- all can cause your blood pressure to rise, heart rate to go up and that creates a perfect storm for the number one killer of men and women.

That's why Ascension Michigan has committed to screening 1,000 police officers and firefighters from Metro Detroit with their mobile heart unit, and they come directly to our first responders.

"This is really our way for not just a health system but the community to give back to a lot of these folks that put their lives on the line, they run toward the fire not away from it," said Dr. Shukri David, Chair of Cardiovascular Services at Ascension Michigan.

This mobile unit screens for vascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and more, and for Officer Farrell, who had no idea he had a cancerous tumor the size of a baseball growing inside him causing acid reflux, the screening was a wake-up call.

"I had a feeling something was going on as the tech was doing it cause she was asking me about my abdomen and if I had prior surgery," he said.

From there a CAT scan, MRI, and then surgery to remove the tumor, which is called a GIST, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

"This is really a cancer of the wall, the material that holds that stomach wall together," said Dr. Jerome Seid.

Dr. Seid put Officer Farrell on targeted oral chemotherapy, which is a once-a-day pill for three years to reduce the chance of a recurrence.

"The likelihood of him being cured is extremely high," he said.

For Officer Farrell, who works sun-up to sundown and risks his own life daily just by the profession he's chosen, the results of this simple screening are just another reason to be grateful to see the sunrise.

"Every day is precious and this is a chance for anybody who can do any type of preventative testing, taking those measures so you don't run into something that can cost you your life," said Officer Farrell.

These screenings are $60-$70 and covered by Ascension as a community service, but certainly life-changing for first responders like Officer Farrell who have little time to make it to the doctor's office for a routine physical let alone a screening like this one.

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Novi police officer discovers he has a tumor thanks to Ascension Michigan's mobile health clinic - WXYZ

GONZALES Ascension Parish residents who had flood water in their homes or businesses after last week's heavy rains should report it to parish government.

Parish officials said they have received no reports of structure flooding so far but want to create "a complete record of any and all high-water events that are regularly reported to State and Federal agencies."

The information will be compiled by the parish Floodplain Management and Stormwater departments, officials said in a statement Monday.

Parish officials are not seeking flooding information on sheds, pole barns, and other out structures.

Between the morning of April 13 and Sunday morning, 7 inches of rain fell on the Gonzales, with about 3.5 inches falling between Tuesday, April 13, and Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service says.

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The heavy rains sent the Amite River and Bayou Manchac to minor or moderate flood stages over the weekend and early this week.

All residents who have had flooding issues should call the Citizens Service Center at (225) 450-1200.

The technician fielding the call will use the work order system to register the call and assign it so the case can be documented, parish officials said.

"It is a good way to track the work the work order, and it can also hold information and pictures," a parish statement says.

To date, the Parish has received no reports of any water in homes. This is a proactive step to ensure the Parish has a complete record of any and all high-water events that are regularly reported to State and Federal agencies.

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Seven inches of rain in Gonzales? Ascension officials seek information on house, business flooding - The Advocate

PRESS RELEASE

Ascension Healthcare announces partnership with Grand Meadows to launch joint support technology NANOFLEX in US Animal Healthcare market

LONDON, April 15 2021 Ascension Healthcare plc (Ascension or the Company), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapies for haemophilia and osteoarthritis is pleased to announce it has signed a commercial partnership agreement with Grand Meadows, Inc. a US-based market-leading provider of high-quality science backed equine and pet supplements, to launch a revolutionary new joint support technology, NANOFLEX, for Horses, Dogs and Cats.

NANOFLEX, represents the first significant scientific evolution in joint support for animals in many years. Harnessing the power of Ascensions patented sequessome technology (SEQ TECH), it changes the way we approach joint wear and tear in animals to improve mobility. Through its lubricating action, NANOFLEX offers a premium and unique treatment for joint health and is entirely drug free.

Biresh Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Ascension said: We are delighted to be partnering with Nick and his team at Grand Meadows to launch NANOFLEX exclusively in the US to build a successful equine and companion animal business together. This exciting collaboration marks Ascensions commercial debut into the large and growing US equine and companion animal markets, using our proven, and highly effective drug-free SEQ TECH.

Nick Hartog, Owner and President of Grand Meadows said: The animal health market in the US, particularly in the area of joint support, has, from a product innovation standpoint, been stagnant and there is a need for new innovative joint support products. NANOFLEX is easy to use, entirely drug-free and, as such, is perfectly suited to fill the gap in this market. I am looking forward to a long and successful collaboration with Ascension.

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

About Ascension Healthcare plc

Ascension Healthcare plc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative therapies for the treatment of haemophilia and osteoarthritis.

The Company has several products in clinical development for the treatment of Haemophilia A and also a range of internationally marketed products for osteoarthritis and well-being.

For more information please visit: http://www.ascension.co.uk

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Ascension Healthcare announces partnership with Grand Meadows to launch joint support technology NANOFLEX in US Animal Healthcare market -...

ASCENSION PARISH, La. (BRPROUD)- Parts of Ascension Parish are facing high waters after a weekend of nonstop rainy weather.

According to Ascension resident, Rodney Purvis, the parking lot of Freds Bar on Port Vincent received around nine feet of water. The flooding mark in the area is eight feet.

The last time this happened was in 2019, it was 8.77, back in May of 2019 Purvis says. Sometimes you live on part of the river, sometimes you live in it. Right now youre in it.

Residents say flooding in the area is not common after a rainy day, however they learned to prepare for any high water after the floods of 2016.

I kayaked out today. Im not staying there tonight I have work in the morning, Purvis says.

Businesses around the area are already seeing water levels decrease after receiving some sun on Sunday.

They expect the flooding to clear out by the end of the week.

Its leveled out now, Purvis says This is part of Louisiana.

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Ascension Parish left with flooding after weekend full of rain - KLFY

PRAIRIEVILLE - Residents are still assessing damage from back to back hail storms in the Prairieville area.

"That is the worst hail storm I have ever experienced," Rev. Anthony Bridges said, who lives in the Crestview area.

"I heard all that banging on the window. I never heard that before," Rev. Bridge added.

The two days of hail caused damage to Bridges' car. Now he's concerned about the house.

"I started worrying about my roof being damaged.Ijust put a new roof up, then my car windows are broken," Rev. Bridges said.

A roofing company answered calls several about damage in Bridges' neighborhood.

"The last two days it's been pretty busy," Kase Dupont with SOCO Roofing said.

DuPont says most of his calls were coming from the Prairieville area.

"The area we're in right now is a one (hail) inch impact zone,which is pretty significant as far as damage that will be causedto a roof," Dupont said.

Dupont says his workers won't be able to start repair jobs until next week, because they are still answering calls and inspecting hail damaged property.

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Roofers slammed with business after hail storms damage property in Ascension - WBRZ

Baton Rouge General will have a free COVID-19 vaccination event 1 to 3 p.m. Friday at its Ascension Parish hospital off La. 73 in Prairieville, hospital officials said.

Participants must register in advance and bring identification and an insurance card, if you have one, officials said in a statement Tuesday.

The hospital is providing the Pfizer vaccine. Recipients must stay at the hospital for 15 minutes after receiving the shot to ensure they don't have an allergic reaction, hospital officials said.

BRG has vaccinated more than 30,000 people through two vaccine clinics in its Bluebonnet and Mid City campuses in Baton Rouge, as well as community events and special events for groups such as postal workers and teachers, hospital officials said.

The vaccine is available to those age 16 and older.

To register for the vaccination event Friday, go hereor to the BRG website athttps://www.brgeneral.org/in-the-community/events-calendar/event-details/?Event=23439.

The Baton Rouge General Ascension hospital is located at 14105 La. 73, Prairieville, near the Interstate 10 interchange.

Link:

Free COVID vaccinations Friday in Ascension campus of Baton Rouge General - The Advocate

LightCounting releases its China Wireless Infrastructure & Macroeconomics Update

April 15, 2021 -- LightCountings latest report provides an update on 5G developments in China, including macroeconomics, geopolitics, and technology. The predictions made last year that Chinas economy would be the only major one to grow in 2020 and that 5G rollouts would go as planned turned out to be true.

In fact, Chinese consumers could not travel abroad and spent their money at home, which kept the economy on track, and China over-delivered and exceeded its 5G base stations (BTS) target. China is now home to more than 70% of the worlds 5G BTS footprint, said Stphane Tral, Chief Analyst at LightCounting Market Research.

Our major findings in the report are:

- China was the only economy to grow in 2020 while the U.S. posted its worst year since the end of World War II. This also suggests that China remains on track to surpass the U.S. as the worlds largest economy in the 2026-2028 timeframe because COVID-19 reset the GDP race between the U.S. and China.

- China added more than 900k combined 4G and 5G BTS in 2020, driving total capex up by 11% YoY5G capex grew 327% YoY

- Chinas RAN market rose more than 30% YoY, and Huawei and ZTE commanded a combined market share greater than 75% for 2020.

- This year, we expect the same level of 5G activity as last year.

- In the mid- and long-term, our model shows lumpiness and bumpiness through 2026, which we predict will be the year China kicks off 6G.

- Overall, we expect no changes in the U.S. administrations stance against China and that further motivates Chinas 5G ecosystem to keep up with the 5G race, build up self-sufficiency and pave the way to 6G. But there will be still severe headwinds and challenges.

About the report:

LightCountings China Wireless Infrastructure and Macroeconomics report focuses on 5G developments in China, including macroeconomics, geopolitics, and technology. The publication date is scheduled a few weeks after the 4 services providers (e.g., China Broadcasting Network, China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom) provide their interim reports so that we can gather many details about 1H21 and provide a 2H21 outlook and a 5-year forecast. This report also includes RAN vendor market shares and analysis.

More information on the report is available at: https://www.lightcounting.com/products/ChinaFY20/

Read more:

COVID-19 and 5Geopolitics failed to derail China's ascension and 5G aspiration - Lightcounting Market Research

Coaching is not easy, but when you can coach a mature group with the same set of goals, it makes it easy.

Coaching this team is easy due to the senior leadership we have; they lead us on and off the field, said East Ascension High baseball coach Kade Keowen.

The East Ascension Spartans baseball team is full of senior leaders who have played for several years at the varsity level. Leading the group is four-year starter Kael Babin (outfielder) who is hitting .325 and has 18 stolen bases this season. Senior catcher Jacob Falgoust leads the team with a .365 average along with two home runs, 33 runs batted in and eight doubles. Senior first baseman Brock Hebert is hitting nearly 300 and has 15 runs batted in. Junior OF Dominick Regira hits at a .333 clip and leads the way with three home runs.

The Spartans pitching staff is led by senior Tanner Hebert, a four-year letterman, with a 5-2 record, 3.02 ERA and 44 strikeouts recorded. Regira has a 4-2 record with a 3.60 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Brock Hebert has the best ERA at 1.43 and is 1-1 on the season.

The Spartans have played to their strengths this season with eight seniors leading the way; they started with Keowen when he became the head coach four years ago.

Everything runs through the seniors. They are sometimes vocal and sometimes just lead by example. I am so proud of them as the lead this program, Keowen said.

Making the routine plays is something the coaches want to improve on.

We need to just make the routine plays, dont make the hero plays, this will allow our pitchers to stay away from big innings and minimize the damage, said Keowen.

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The Spartans have hit well as a team and the coaches like the daily approach.

Putting the ball in play with two strikes and force the defense to make plays, this will extend innings for us and run up opposing pitchers counts said Keowen.

The Spartans play in a tough district with Catholic High and their rivals.

I believe this will be a tight district race. We have split with Catholic, everyone knows that St. Amant has a well-coached and talented team, plus Dutchtown as a rival, all of the teams are well coached, and they play hard, Keowen said.

The 5A playoffs look strong from top to bottom and just making the top 16 will guarantee a home playoff game in the first round.

We are currently sitting as the No. 20 seed. We will travel anywhere, we dont care, but everyone hopes to get the 16 seed or better to get a home game; we will be ready no matter where we fall, Keowen said.

As the season winds down and heads to the playoffs, the Spartans will certainly be a team to watch in 5A. East Ascension opened district play with two losses to Dutchtown High.

This is my fourth year as their head coach and having this senior group makes it extremely fun, our philosophy is to start fast, score early and most of all, just play hard and have fun, Keowen said.

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Seniors lead the way for Spartan baseball - The Advocate

MICHIGAN The number of people in the hospital being treated for COVID19 reached an all-time high on Tuesday.

According to state data, 4,158 patients are hospitalized with confirmed cases of the virus, with 663 patients locally. There are 896 people in the ICU and 530 people are on a ventilator.

While the east side of Michigan is behind much of those numbers, doctors say West Michigan is nowhere in the clear.

Our trend is still going in that upward direction, said Dr. Joshua Kooistra, chief medical officer at Spectrum Health West Michigan.

According to Kooistra, Spectrum Health is nearing hospitalization records of their own. Currently there are 314 patients, with about a quarter in the ICU. Last November, the health system hit a high, treating 358 patients.

Adding to the issue, Kooistra says, is Spectrum seeing its normal levels for other inpatient admissions, such as routine illnesses and injuries.

Our capacity is becoming strained, said Kooistra. Like in the fall, we are deferring some non-emergent or urgent procedures that could be safely deferred until our capacity will allow us to care for our patient population.

Regionally, Mercy Health is seeing a slow increase at its hospitals in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, with numbers shifting from the low 40s and 50s to upper 40s and 50s. The trend is translating to its ICU admissions.

At Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo, data shows its two cases from hitting its highest number of patients since mid-December.

Bronson Healthcare saw a recent peak at its hospital in Kalamazoo with 73 patients, however the health system says its four hospitals saw a 10 percent reduction in hospitalizations over the weekend. A spokeswoman said its too early to tell if the worst is behind them.

Our teams are fatigued, but still have the mission to care for our community and do so in the best way possible, said Kooistra.

According to Gov. Whiter, youth sports, COVID-19 fatigue, and variants are behind the increased numbers.

Health officials are urging people to continue to mask up, social distance, wash their hands, and get vaccinated. Kooistra says at Spectrum, the number of people hospitalized in the 70+ age group is not rising like the other age groups.

The West Michigan Vaccine Clinic has appointments open this week. To sign up, click here.

That alone should encourage people in those younger age groups to really go out and get vaccinated, said Kooistra. If you have the opportunity and youre eligible to do so, I would encourage everybody to sign up and get your vaccine.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations in Michigan hit record high, health systems in West Michigan managing - Fox17

Tom VanOsdol, Guest columnist Published 10:42 a.m. CT April 15, 2021

Since the first patients with positive indications and test results for the novel coronavirus began to arrive at local hospitals in March 2020, nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, environmental services personnel and other essential staff members have heroically put their lives at risk to care for those stricken with COVID-19. The pandemic has tested and stressed our teams as never before, and exacted a terrible toll across Northwest Florida. At Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola alone, more than 2,000 people have been hospitalized in our COVID-19 units and ICUs.

When the pandemic began, Ascension Sacred Heart was one of the first hospitals in the state to open drive-through testing sites. Since then, our Ascension Medical Group has provided more than 80,000 COVID-19 tests to people in our region. Similarly, Ascension Sacred Heart was THE first provider in the region to open a mass vaccination clinic. To date, our clinics in Northwest Florida have administered 60,000 shots of vaccine.

It's been an extraordinary and historic effort, and our ongoing work to fight this virus has come at a material and human cost. COVID-19 imposed a financial hit on most hospitals, but especially on safety net hospitals like Ascension Sacred Heart which care for the largest percentage of those who are poor and most vulnerable in our community.

When the pandemic began, our hospitals temporarily stopped performing non-urgent surgeries and procedures in order to appropriately conserve personal protective equipment and prevent the spread of the virus within our facilities. Consumers anxious about COVID-19 also stopped coming to our ERs for care they needed, and they postponed other essential and necessary medical care for conditions like heart and vascular disease, cancer care,and other significant and potentially serious health concerns.

At a time when we are still experiencing a loss of revenue due to COVID-19, we never expected the Florida Legislature to further cut the Medicaid funding we receive to care for the poor and vulnerable in our communities. But sadly thats exactly what's happening. While the Governors budget recognized our efforts over the past year and proposed no cuts, the Florida House budget proposes to reduce Ascension Sacred Heart's Medicaid reimbursements by $16 million and the Senate bill includes cuts totaling $15 million. Importantly, these are NOT governmental payments to healthcare institutions. Rather, these cuts follow individual patients, and further reduce the already less-than-cost reimbursement hospitals receive to cover the care of Medicaid beneficiaries.

We are further dismayed that hospitals providing neonatal intensive care are facing some of the most dramatic funding cuts in the Senate and House budget plans. As the 7th largest Medicaid provider in the state, Ascension Sacred Heart has no room to absorb these proposed cuts. With over 30 percent of our patients being Medicaid enrollees, we now face $16 million in reductions of an already anemic reimbursement rate. In light of these proposed cuts, we simply cannot see a way to balance our budget. For our doctors, nurses and other caregivers who have performed so valiantly and selflessly over the past year, this would mean we would not be able to support and resource them as before. This is not the reward they deserve for their service. And for patients, these cuts would render us unable to continue and extend all the essential services we provide, particularly for those most in need.

We sincerely ask our legislators to reconsider the fairness and the full implications of the House and Senate plans to cut support for the safety net hospitals in Florida, and for those most in need. We are specifically asking the House to reinstate the Critical Care Funds, which are allocated to the top 25 Medicaid providers in the state and are intended to help offset losses incurred when reimbursement is far less than the cost to deliver care. Importantly, were not asking for more money. Were simply asking NOT to be cut, particularly in light of the year weve all lived through.

Additionally, the Legislature is planning these cuts at the same time that Florida is the beneficiary of $10 billion in federal funds coming to the State and over $300 million is coming from an increase in the rate of federal matching funds for the Medicaid program.

Throughout the pandemic, the community has been able to rely on us despite the financial and operating challenges COVID-19 has presented. And in turn we've been fortunate to have the support of the community, and of our state and local officials as we worked to fight this battle, save human lives and slow the spread of the virus. Today, the new vaccines provide great hope, but the fight against COVID-19 is not finished. Now is not the time to reduce Medicaid funding for healthcare providers who have battled tirelessly over a year to serve the needs of our community and those most vulnerable to this insidious disease .

Tom VanOsdol is president and CEO ofAscension Florida and Gulf Coast.

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Now is not the time to reduce Medicaid funding for safety net hospitals | Guestview - Pensacola News Journal

Sufjan Stevens has shared the second part of his upcoming five-part album listen to Lamentations below.

The track is included on the second part ofStevens new 49-track album Convocations, which is due out next month.

Each of the five parts of the album are being released one-by-one in the run-up to the albums full release. Earlier this month, Stevens shared the albums first part, Meditations, before the Lamentations release was previewed earlier this week by new track Lamentation II.

Following them will be Revelations (April 22), Celebrations (April 29) and Incantations (May 6). The new instrumental record from Stevens will be released digitally on May 6 via Asthmatic Kitty. A 5xLP coloured vinyl edition of Convocations will follow on August 20.

Listen to the 30-minute Lamentations below.

The forthcoming project is comprised of five volumes Meditations, Lamentations, Revelations, Celebrations and Incantations and sees Stevens reflect on a year of anxiety, uncertainty, isolation and loss through 49 new songs.

Stevens created the album in tribute to his biological father, who died just two days after his 2020 album The Ascension was released. According to a press release, each Convocations volume represents a different stage of the mourning process.

Reviewing The Ascension upon its release last year, NME said: The unashamed pop feel of The Ascension is regularly coupled with the sort of wiry electronics you might expect to hear in a Glastonbury dance tent at 4am.

These anxious instrumentals echo the albums uneasy outlook and fear of the future, and when they combine forces it often makes for an astonishing listen. The world is pretty shitty at the moment and its easy to feel helpless, but as the horror show that is 2020 continues to rumble on, The Ascension is yet another ample soundtrack to rage-dance to.

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Listen to Sufjan Stevens Lamentations, the second part of his five-part album - NME

Boys

Track events

100-meter dash: 1, Dylan Sampson, Dutchtown, 10.48. 2, Kevin Domino, St. Amant, 10.69. 3, JayVeon Haynes Woodlawn 10.79.

200: 1, Dylan Sampson, Dutchtown, 21.16. 2, Chris Hilton, Zachary, 21.33. 3, Imania Coleman, West Feliciana, 21.48.

400: 1, Chris Hilton, Zachary, 49.47. 2, Imania Coleman, West, Feliciana 49.99. 3, Kalvin Skelton, Brusly, 50.18.

800: 1, Joseph Ellis, Catholic High, 1:56.60. 2, Rhen Langley, Zachary, 1:56.97. 3, Lejuane George, Zachary, 1:59.91.

1,600: 1, Rhen Langley, Zachary, 4:19.56. 2, Daniel Sullivan, Catholic High, 4:22.83. 3, Blaison Truell, Catholic High, 4:24.00.

3,200: 1, Rhen Langley, Zachary, 9:37.22. 2, Caleb Ackman, Zachary, 9:39.78. 3, Steven Mayer, Catholic High, 9:46.05.

110 hurdles: 1, Lanard Harris, Woodlawn, 14.57. 2, Cosy Smith, Zachary 14.96. 3, Donnell Matthews, Scotlandville, 14.96.

300 hurdles: 1, Lanard Harris, Woodlawn, 37.83. 2, Donnell Matthews, Scotlandville, 39.84. 3, Ethan Hook, Episcopal, 40.07, Louis Rudge, Catholic High, 40.07

4x100 relay: 1, Zachary 41.24. 2, Dutchtown 42.36. 3, Scotlandville 42.53.

4x200 relay: 1, Zachary 1:26.23. 2, Dutchtown 1:27.91. 3, St. Amant 1:28.81.

4x400 relay: 1, Scotlandville 3:23.09. 2, Catholic High 3:25.88. 3, Zachary 3:26.99

4x800 relay: 1, Catholic High 7:59.98. 2, Zachary 8:20.41. 3, Scotlandville 8:27.33.

Field events

Discus: 1, Jerrell Boykins, East Ascension, 170-02. 2, Oliver Jack, Episcopal, 153-6. 3, Sam Cole, Catholic High, 150-2.

High jump: 1, Chris Hilton, Zachary, 7-0. 2, JaMarius Snowden, Northeast, 6-8. 3, TreShaun Dunn, St. Amant, 6-6.

Javelin: 1, Jackson Rimes, Catholic High, 208-8. 2, Peyton Pontiff, Episcopal, 198-6. 3, Caleb Marcantel, Catholic High, 181-7.

Long jump: 1, W'Juanterous Rodrique, St. Amant, 23- 7.75. 2, Chris Murphy, Port Allen, 23-6.5. 3, Jaden Wiliams, Walker, 22-10.5.

Pole vault: 1, Clayton Simms, Live Oak, 17-2.5. 2, Trey Boucher, Parkview Baptist, 16-2. 3, Todd Collins, Walker, 14-0.

Shot put: 1, Oliver Jack, Episcopal, 56-1. 2, Prince Edwards, Catholic High, 53-0. 3, Jerrell Boykins, East Ascension 52-2.5.

Triple jump: 1, Kevon Hamilton, Scotlandville, 47-6. 2, W'Janterous Rodrique, St. Amant, 44-8.5. 3, Reginald King, Scotlandville, 43-11.

Track events

100 meters: 1, Zoa Adams, Zachary, 11.99. 2, Sade Gray, Scotlandville, 11.99. 3, Jessica Pitcher, Baton Rouge, 12.01.

200: 1, Sade Gray, Scotlandville, 25.08. 2, Ariane Linton, Dutchtown, 25.21. 3, Hannah Jones, SJA, 25.61.

400: 1, Zoa Adams, Zachary, 55.83. 2, Makeriah Harris, Scotlandville, 56.6. 3, Haley Jones, SJA, 57.94.

800: 1, Callie Hardy, Episcopal, 2:21.10. 2, Rachel Fereday, Dutchtown, 2:23.04. 3, Amelia Cochran, SJA, 2:23.85.

1,600: 1, Sophie Martin, SJA, 5:06.50. 2, Maddie Gardiner, SJA, 5:15.80. 3, Callie Hardy, Episcopal, 5:18.40.

3,200: 1, Sophie Martin, SJA, 10:53.43. 2, Maddie Gardiner, SJA, 11:28.22. 3, Emma Claire Hendry, SJA, 11:56.10.

100 hurdles: 1, Makeriah Harris, Scotlandville, 14.2. 2, Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 14.66. 3, Orsciana Beard, Zachary, 14.97, Heather Abadie, St. Michael, 14.97.

300 hurdles: 1, Makeriah Harris, Scotlandville, 42.29. 2, Whitney Harris, Scotlandville, 45.96. 3, Daila Young, Episcopal, 47.11

4x100 relay: 1, Zachary 48.72. 2, Scotlandville 48.85. 3, Dutchtown 49.55.

4x200 relay: 1, Zachary 1:40.58. 2, Scotlandville 1:41.61. 3, Baton Rouge High 1:42.76.

4x400: 1, Scotlandville 3:58.25. 2, SJA 3:59.84. 3, Zachary 4:00.86.

4x800: 1, SJA 9:43.27. 2, Episcopal 10:10.60. 3, St. Michael's 10:15.00.

Field events

Discus: 1, Jaydan Jackson, Zachary, 138-5. 2, Jamyah Williams, Madison Prep, 133-9. 3, Laila Guy, Baton Rouge, 122-1.5.

High jump: 1, Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 5-10. 2, Riley Wilson, SJA, 5-6. 3, Alana Simms, Episcopal, 5-5.

Javelin: 1, Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 142-3.25. 2, Rebecca Bordelon, SJA, 136-0. 3, Anna Ferrand, SJA, 135-8.

Long jump: 1, Ariel Pedigo, Parkview Baptist, 19-5.75. 2, Orsciana Beard, Zachary, 18-3.75. 3, Heather Abadie, St. Michael, 17-10.

Pole vault: 1, Heather Abadie, St. Michael, 13-4.25. 2, Ava Riche, SJA, 11-6. 3, Taylor Walker, SJA, 11-1.

Shot put: 1, Jaydan Jackson Zachary, 44-8. 2, Laila Guy, Baton Rouge, 42-5.75. 3, Jamyah Williams, Madison Prep, 39-8.

Triple jump: 1, Orsciana Beard, Zachary, 39-2. 2, Simone Castelluccio, SJA, 38-1. 3, Francis Oliver, Episcopal, 37-4.

Continue reading here:

Check out the high school track and field leaders for the Baton Rouge area - The Advocate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Ascension Saint Thomas celebrates Galentines Day Saturday, and women over the age of 40 are invited to receive their mammogram screening.

Ascension Saint Thomas says the event will be held from 7 a.m. to noon at Saint Thomas Midtown. Many women missed their screening last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Galentines themed event serves as an opportunity for women without any known concerns to get back into the routine of getting that important annual check.

We want to empower our women to take an active role in their breast care to come every year to show up bring their friends, bring their family members. The best thing you can do is encourage those around you to get their screening mammograms.

Organizers say the Galentines theme is an opportunity to promote friendship along with breast health.

You can schedule your Galentines mammogram appointment by calling 615-284-5000 or by clicking here.

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Ascension Saint Thomas to hold Galentines themed mammogram screening event Saturday - WKRN News 2

The Ascension Parish school system says it is partnering with Our Lady of the Lake's branch in the parish to set up convenient time slots for its employees to get vaccinated.

According to a school spokesperson, OLOL Ascension will help employees set up a vaccination time slot between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to help limit the impact on school employees' workdays. Those interested can get on the waitlist here.

The school system said the quickest way to sign up for the vaccine is still to register with any of the other vaccinations sites across the state, which can be found on the Louisiana department of Health website.

The school system said 1,800 of its employees responded to a survey about the vaccine, with more than half saying they're interested in getting the shot.

Under the state's newest vaccine guidelines, educators will be added to the priority list for receiving the COVID vaccine starting Monday.

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Ascension schools partnering with OLOL to get COVID vaccines to teachers - WBRZ

Former Ascension Health CEO Donald Brennanwho helped form what became the country's largest Catholic health systemhas passed away at age 83.

In addition to leading St. Louis-based Ascension until 2001, Brennan held the top posts at Providence in Washington, Group Health and co-chaired a Washington state health commission. He passed away peacefully at his home in Bothell, Wash. on Feb. 12.

Brennan was initially hired as a consultant to help plan the merger between the two Catholic systems that formed Ascension. After spending a year on the project, he was named CEO of the new health system, said his son, Steve Brennan, who serves as Nashville, Tenn.-based Change Healthcare's senior manager of state health policy.

Ascension's current president and CEO, Joe Impicciche, said in a statement that Ascension owes a debt of gratitude to Brennan for his "visionary leadership and commitment to our mission."

"As our first CEO, Don was a key leader in the collaborative process to establish the mission and values that continue to guide Ascension today," Impicciche said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Don and his family."

When Brennan retired as Ascension's CEO in 2001, the health system had $6 billion in annual revenue and 71 owned or affiliated hospitals. It has since grown even bigger. Ascension was a 150-hospital system with north of $25 billion in annual revenue as of June 30, 2020.

Brennan started his career in the finance department at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Boulder, Colo., where we worked from 1976 to 1980. He then became the first non-religious CEO for what was then known as the Sisters of Providence Health System.

He left Providence in 1993 when he was appointed by Washington state's then-Gov. Mike Lowry to co-chair the Washington Health Services Commission. Established by the 1993 Health Services Act, the group worked to formulate a comprehensive healthcare reform strategy.

"When we talk about really putting your money where your mouth is, he believed in healthcare reform enough to step away from his job to make it a reality," Steve Brennan said.

After Washington lawmakers repealed much of the Health Services Act, Brennan stepped down from the commission and became CEO of the St. Louis-based Daughters of Charity National Health System in 1995. During his tenure, the health system merged with the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System of Ann Arbor, Mich. to become Ascension.

Initially, Daughters of Charity had hired Brennan as a consultant to held plan its merger with the Sisters of St. Joseph, Steve Brennan said. After spending almost a year designing the merger to create Ascension, he became Ascension's first CEO.

After retiring from Ascension in 2001, Brennan served on the board of Swedish Health Services from 2003 to 2010.

Steve Brennan said he's spoken recently with a number of his dad's former colleagues, who describe his leadership style as very collaborative.

"He was a very humble person and was very careful to give credit elsewhere and to really reach out to experts and people in his organization to be leaders, whether informal or formal," he said.

Brennan, who also served on the board of the Catholic Health Association, grew up in Denver as the youngest of five children. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado.

Throughout Brennan's life, his son said he remained dedicated to his family, which included his wife of nearly 60 years, Kathy, four sons and 11 grandchildren. He loved scuba diving, golfing and running.

"He was just very much a champion of life balance and really educated all of us on how important that is," Steve Brennan said.

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Former Ascension CEO, the first to lead the health system, passes away - Modern Healthcare

Toward the end of Black Art: In the Absence of Light, Theaster Gates provocatively says, Until we own the light, Im not happy. Until we are in our own houses of exhibition, discovery, and research, until weve figured out how to be masters of the world, then Id rather work in darkness. I want to believe him (though Gates seems slightly too practiced at drawing high-wattage illumination to his varied projects), but whether I do or not, the trouble is that this declaration goes against the grain of the documentary. Black Art is exactly an argument for and a testament to how Black peoples aesthetic production has moved toward the mainstream of US culture, and how key actors in the Black community have intentionally and consciously sought this. And it demonstrates precisely what the community gives up in striving toward this goal.

The film begins with a discussion of a pivotal exhibition, Two Centuries of Black American Art, curated by David Driskell and initially shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1976. (Thereafter it toured to Atlanta and Dallas and ended at the Brooklyn Museum.) The development, obstacles, and lasting resonance of this show gives the documentary its structure. While interviewing Driskell, Tom Brokaw offers a vapid preamble: the Black artist in America has had to put up with being taken seriously as an artist and as an individual. Driskell looks like his face has been pressed into a forced march toward patient enlightenment of his audience. Valerie Cassel Oliver, a curator at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, explains the profound ignorance of what Black artists had already been contributing to the culture: Up until that point, you really do not have an exhibition which is authored by a Black curator which talks about the history and contemporary manifestations of Black art production in the visual arts.

And then the film proceeds in a conventional lockstep, introducing one talking head after another to make the case as Driskells exhibition did that in order for African Americans to scale the walls ringing the center of culture, several things are needed: art stars, collectors, curators, exhibitions, institutions, and a verifiable history. (It doesnt do much with criticism at all, and mentions no critics, though the recently deceased Maurice Berger sort of wears that hat.)

The film uses Richard Mayhews discussion of his work (included in Two Centuries), Kerry James Marshalls meaningful recollection of visiting the show, and Sanford Biggerss remembrance of its catalog to demonstrate the powerful and abiding traditions of perspective and ambition that span generations. As Spelman College President Mary Schmidt Campbell summarizes: Driskell demonstrated that absolutely there was a lineage and that history was filled not only with painting and sculpture, but also the decorative arts and architecture, drawings.

Black Art also does an admirable job of showing that not only do pivotal exhibitions recognize and verify a lineage, but they also inspire subsequent generations. The conversation around Thelma Goldens 1993 show Black Male, mounted at the Whitney Museum of American Art, is compelling. Having seen that show myself, I relished the analysis of it, and could have done with more.

In a similar fashion, the film shows how the venerable Studio Museum in Harlem supported and propelled Marshall and Biggers, along with others like Kehinde Wiley and Jordan Casteel, while also recounting with refreshing honesty how it rejected Faith Ringgolds work. This is one of the very quiet undercurrents of the film, something Ive found in my own experience among Black folks in the art scene: We construct our own hierarchies and exclusivity, while also generating a certain kind of calloused resiliency. As Ringgold says, I stay out until I get in.

For me, the problem is that the films production team (director Sam Pollard, executive producer Henry Louis Gates Jr., and consulting producer Thelma Golden) is so enamored with the notion of getting to the mainstream that they truncate a story that should be longer, oversimplifying a complex and contradictory history. Whats more, they completely leave out pivotal figures like Lowery Stokes Sims, the first Black curator hired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and who also once ran the Studio Museum). How do you ignore her? How do you celebrate Marshall and his triumphant obsidian figuration and leave aside Toyin Ojih Odutola, who makes that Black figure sparkle and waft off the page, or Chris Ofili, who makes the Black figure legendary?

For that matter, how do the producers justify truncating the notion of Black art by ignoring its diasporic valences which contain Caribbean, British, and Canadian artists who have settled in the US? Why feature Casteel, who does not deal with the dilemma of representation as a way to parse identity as much as Lorna Simpson or Njideka Akunyili Crosby do? Why leave aside Jack Whitten and only give us a glimpse of Mark Bradford, when the conversation could have taken up history painting? What about abstraction among unique talents such as Howardena Pindell and Senga Nengudi? Why leave aside Kimberly Drew and the significant contribution her digital archive has made to propagating Black art? How do you leave out the powerful saga of African American performance, disregarding powerhouses such as Lorraine OGrady? My guess is that the filmmakers wanted to limit what might have been the bewildering complexity of Black aesthetic production engendered by Driskells show, or that they wanted to shine a light on a talented tenth of their choosing.

The film also hardly discusses the very relevant socioeconomic fault lines that fissure the Black arts scene, though one moment surfaces the cognitive dissonance that might come with success. Hank Willis Thomas says, When someone buys your work, its never really about the money for an artist; its about the vote of confidence. I know that for many artists who are on the financial cliffs edge, its very much about both.

In this mode of celebrating those who have made it into the mainstream of US popular culture, the film ends with a kind of coronation: the opening of the exhibition showcasing the work of Amy Sherald, which includes her acclaimed portrait of Michelle Obama. This film could have been more than a testament to their (and a few others) triumphs. It could have been more generous. Sometimes when we become masters of a world, we find others to consign to the darkness where we ourselves used to be.

Black Art: In the Absence of Light is available to stream on HBO MAX.

As arts communities around the world experience a time of challenge and change, accessible, independent reporting on these developments is more important than ever.

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A Premature Celebration of the Ascension of Black Artists - Hyperallergic

ST. AMANTIn the past nine years, six people have died because a car or truck drove off the road and into a bayou in and around this eastern Ascension Parish community, local officials say.

In the same period, five others were pulled to safety following other accidents when their vehicle went into the water in St. Amant.

Fire Chief James LeBlanc said all of those crashes have happened along two, poorly lit and curvy stretches of state highways in far southeastern Ascension: Stringer Bridge Road, or La. 935, and Weber City Road, or La. 429.

Ascension Parish government officials are revisiting a recurring question in a parish where many older and narrower state highway and local roads run along the bayous and canals crisscrossing the east bank.

Parish officials have again tentatively begun investigating the idea of putting up guardrails or other kinds of protective devices along dangerous stretches in St. Amant and perhaps elsewhere to prevent the kind of accident that claimed the lives of a mother and her son in the early morning hours of Jan. 27. They died after a daring rescue by a deputy.

"It seems to be, you know, something that happens a lot more, you know, than we care," Councilman Chase Melancon, who represents the St. Amant area, recently told other parish officials. "And I am glad we're at least having the conversation."

In the middle of the night, in a misty rain and fog, a deputy dove in a canal to punch out the window of a truck sinking in the water and pull

These talks are in the early stages as parish officials said they are still trying to figure out what their options are, what problem areas are out there and what the long-term cost and legal liability of various fixes might be.

Guardrails, for instance, costs $25 per foot plus $2,500 end treatments for each section of rail, state highway officials said, in addition to any traffic control or construction mobilization costs.

The parish would have to petition state highway officials to install measures that come in addition to what is already along state highways in Ascension, parish officials said. Among the considerations Parish President Clint Cointment has said he wants to examine are long-term maintenance costs and legal liability for parish government.

But the imperative to act is fresh since a pickup truck went off Webre City Road on Jan. 27 into New River Canal, almost directly across the road from St. Amant Middle and St. Amant High's football stadium, known as The Pit.

The truck sank and, despite the heroics of local sheriff's deputies, firefighters and others to pull people free and apply life-saving measures, injurieseventually claimed the lives of the driver, Alayna Duncan, 24, and her 4-year-old, Jayson Moulder.

GONZALES Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Haydel was just finishing his 12-hour patrol shift on the roads of Ascension Parish, was parked in his driv

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Trooper Taylor Scrantz, Troop A spokesman, said, but he has said previously that alcohol appeared to be a factor.

Another of Duncan's children and an adult passenger survived, State Police have said.

Not long after the crash, crosses went up to mark the spot where they hit the water, within sight of the football stadium. Duncan, a St. Amant native who worked as a restaurant manager in Gonzales, graduated from St. Amant High more than six years ago and was on the school's flag team, according to her obituary.

A little to the north, crosses and signs along Stringer Bridge Road still mark the places of two crashes into Black Bayou that claimed the lives of three around a decade ago, including two children.

In March 2008, the body of Jody P. Bourgeois, 19, of St. Amant, was found in his submerged car after he apparently went off in a curvy section of Stringer Bridge.

On another February night in 2012, a woman driving with four children in her car drove off Stringer Bridge into the bayou.

A bystander helped two of the children escape, but he and arriving firefighters were unable to free the woman's two daughters, ages 9 and 7.

The driver told troopers at the time that the children were fighting and she took the curve too fast and lost control.

A blood test later determined she had ingested a handful of prescription medications. Ascension prosecutors never ended up charging her, though, because they lacked enough blood evidence to prove she was impaired by those drugs, prosecutors said then.

GONZALES Prosecutors have been unable to determine whether a mix of prescription drugs intoxicated a St. Amant woman and impaired her abilit

The second crash prompted public and local political backlash and petition with a few thousand signatures that called for guardrails along the winding state highway, which has steep side slopes down to the bayou.

After state highway officials studied the options, their analysis of data between 2007 and 2009 found an elevated number of crashes that went off the road, a state Department of Transportation and Development report says.

But narrow Stringer Bridge doesn't have enough space for guardrails, the report found, and installing them could lead to other kinds of dangerous accidents.

"Guard-rail so close to the road could possibly cause a vehicle to bounce off and collide with another vehicle," the report says. "Guard-rail could possibly breakaway and trap a vehicle in the Bayou or cause the vehicle to vault over" the rail.

Former Parish Councilman Randy Clouatre, who was part of the discussions on Stringer Bridge then, also recalled similar worries about the risks that new guardrails could pose along the highway.

The final fix wasn't barriers of any kind, but signs warning about Stringer Bridge's curves, including signs with flashing lights, a centerline rumble strip, reflective tape on signs and restriping the road edge.

ST. AMANT Tandy Ragas, 44, of St. Amant, frantically told a 911 operator Tuesday night about a car carrying children that drove off La. 935

LeBlanc, the St. Amant fire chief, said Stringer Bridge Road hasn't had a crash into Black Bayou since DOTD installed those protective measures in 2012 and 2014.

Jennifer Patton, 47, lives across New River from Weber City Road and was awakened by the Jan. 27 crash when her dogs started barking at the first responders who arrived later.

Patton said the Jan. 27 crash isn't the first time some went into the water by her house she recalled another where the driver survived a few years ago but she had doubts about what kind of barriers could be installed along Weber City.

The sloping bank dropping down to New River is used for parking for high school football games and other events at The Pit, she said.

"So it's loaded with people for everything they have, graduations, you name it," Patton said. "They don't have enough parking over there, so a lot of people park up and down these canals."

LeBlanc said that if the parish is going to examine the problem, other sites in the Sorrento area also deserve scrutiny, as well as the role of driver error in any of the crashes.

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Too many deaths and too many accidents: How Ascension is rethinking its roadside protections - The Advocate

Friday, February 19th 2021 - 10:19 UTC The aim is for Ascension to become the first entire island to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (Pic: Ascension Island Government)

A remote UK overseas territory in the South Atlantic could become the first whole island vaccinated against coronavirus, after the Royal Air Force flew 4,000 miles to deliver doses from RAF Brize Norton.

Just under 2,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were transported to Ascension Island, a sovereign base used as a bridging point in the South Atlantic.

An RAF A400M made the trip, with the journey taking around 12 hours. The flight was delayed by 24 hours, after the military aircraft had to undergo maintenance.

Upon leaving refrigeration at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the vaccine could spend no longer than 72 hours out of refrigeration or it would have expired and become unusable.

The vaccines were stored at a controlled temperature for the duration of the trip, at which point they were put straight into refrigeration in Georgetown before being delivered to inhabitants of the island.

Doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were delivered to the island, with enough vaccines for two doses dropped on the one flight.

Wing Commander Lee Roberts said: There's a lot of work going on down in the Ascension Islands, and, for us, it's quite an important hub for us moving around the world.

Ascension is located near the equator and strategically positioned approximately 4,000 miles from both the UK and the Falkland Islands.

The island's role is to deter military aggression against the UK's South Atlantic Overseas Territories in order to maintain UK sovereignty. It has a population of nearly 800, and includes staff, military personnel and contractors.

Base commander on the island, Wing Commander Colin Melvin, said he was really delighted to see the vaccine delivered.

Having everyone vaccinated on island, will give us reassurance here on island, that were keeping everyone safe on island and moving forward allows us to continue our operations here on Ascension.

He added that the vaccines would give personnel on the island more options for coping with the pandemic. Ascension's COVID protection strategy and the protocols that we have applied with the support of the government and other employing organizations have been very thorough.

We have been doing managed quarantine now since the start of the pandemic and we continue to do so now, and the vaccine arriving on island will hopefully, in the future, give us some additional options, they may be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. (Forces Net)

Link:

Ascension Island vaccinated with AstraZeneca, first BOT to complete inoculation - MercoPress

Wg Cdr Roberts said the purpose of bringing the vaccine to Ascension Island, which sitsmidway between central South America and central Africa,was a case of staying ahead of the game.

The island is Covid-free and lets try and keep it that way, he said.

However, after crew on the ground were unable to sort the problem with one of the engines, cargo had to be unpacked and moved into storage, while passengers disembarked, setting the operation back by a whole 24 hours.

The timing of the vaccine is crucial.Once it has been removed from refrigeration it can only be in transit for a maximum of three days; any longer and it will be spoiled.

Packing the flight to carry the vaccine to Ascension Island was meticulous. The cargo hangar at Brize Norton,typically used for shipping out perishables, medicines and blood stocks to different theatres around the world, was rerolled during the pandemic in order to support the movement of vaccines.

Flying Officer George Cox, who helped prepare the aircraft, said: We are always agile and mobile in our responses, repurposing all of the equipment we have for defence and that does extend through to the cargo hangar.

The next morning, with 48 hours left on the clock, military personnel and contractors who work on the islandboarded the same aircraft, the precious vaccines strapped down in a crate on pallets covering the floor, and waited to see if there would be a successful take off.There was.

Despite cutting it fine, Operation Broadshare was back under control, until the plane touched down to refuel in Cape Verde, a group of islands off the West coast of Africa and on the Governments red list, which requires any travellers to quarantine in designated hotels upon arrival in the UK.

After seven hours flying, passengers stayed on board in order to avoid stepping foot on the island and being made to quarantine.However, after a successful refuel there was a problem with the engine once again and rumours started circulating that all on board would be made to vacate the plane and stay overnight in Cape Verde.

Ascension Island was another four and a half hoursflight away and time was ticking. Fortunately, the problem was eventually solved and the vaccines, enough for two doses for each of the 900-person population, arrived in Ascension Island late on Tuesday evening, as seen below.

Original post:

Exclusive: RAF's daring race against time to vaccinate Ascension Island in world-first mission - Telegraph.co.uk

AUSTIN (KXAN) St. Davids South Austin Medical Center lost water pressure Wednesday, resulting in having to transfer at least 30 patients to other area hospitals and others being discharged to go home.

Chief Executive Officer David Huffstutler wrote in a statement to KXAN the water also feeds the facilitys boiler, so it was also losing heat. Right now, the hospital has nearly 300 patients.

In an update Thursday, Huffstutler said in a statement despite the heating system being boiler-, and therefore water-driven, we were able to get a water truck in to alleviate the issues on the heating system.

Through this, they were able to make a closed-loop system in the hospital to keep warm, according to Huffstutler. At this time, the hospital is no longer experiencing heating issues, St. Davids said.

The water trucks will be able to recharge the facilitys water pressure to allow the use of toilets and other non-potable water needs. Huffstutler said they have plenty of bottled water for the moment.

While water and heat issues at St. Davids South seemed to be resolved, the City of Austins water issues are affecting water pressure at St. Davids Medical Center and Heart Hospital of Austin now, Huffstutler said. Water trucks are being deployed to these facilities in addition to St. Davids South.

Additionally, St. Davids said four of its hospitals (St. Davids Medical Center, St. Davids South Austin Medical Center, St. Davids North Austin Medical Center and Heart Hospital of Austin) are included in the City of Austin boil water notice.

We are working with our supply chain to provide water for our patients, staff and hospital operations. We began supplementing our onsite water inventory last week, and supplies are continuing to arrive, a statement from Huffstutler said.

All hospitals in the St. Davids system have been able to keep power throughout the winter storms, and have not had to use emergency power generation. Medical staff have been sheltering at the hospitals so they could avoid travel on dangerous, iced-over roads.

They have been rotating working and sleeping, which made it possible for us to maintain staffing and coverage, Huffstutler said in the statement. Our employees have been nothing shot of phenomenal.

On Wednesday, an incident command team was working at the hospital to find a solution with the City of Austin to the lack of water pressure. They were also working with the city to find transportation for patients who are medically able to be taken home.

Other patients most in need were taken to other hospitals, Huffstutler said. But he explained this issue is affecting other hospitals in the Austin area, and no one hospital currently has the capacity to accept transport of a large number of patients.

Other emergency tasks and efforts include:

St. Davids South said through its national partner, HCA Healthcare, it was able to secure food, linens, medication and supplies for patients.

I am personally directing every resource available within our healthcare system to find solutions to best care for and serve our patients during this challenging time. Huffstutler said in the statement.

Additionally, St. Davids HealthCare is working with regional suppliers to provide water for patients, staff and hospital operations after Austin Water issued a citywide boil water notice. Drinking water was delivered to facilities last week, and more supplies are on the way this week. They are working to get water trucks on site at the hospitals as quickly as possible.

Some Ascension Seton facilities are also experiencing water issues Wednesday evening.

While extreme weather conditions have caused intermittent water issues at several Ascension Seton sites of care, facility teams are working quickly to resolve the issues, a spokesperson with the hospital system said in an email Wednesday evening.

All Ascension Seton hospitals have emergency response plans in place to facilitate patient care, including backup generators at each care site, the hospital system said.

Every year, the hospitals prepare for a variety of emergency situations, which include regular testing of backup power sources and updating response plans.

Ascension Seton leadership continues to review operations for our network of hospitals and evaluate staffing and resources based on the rapidly evolving weather conditions and community needs, the spokesperson said.

As a result of these issues, Ascension Seton is rescheduling elective surgeries at all sites of care to preserve inpatient hospital bed capacity. Staff is planning to notify all patients impacted by this and will continue to evaluate operations daily.

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Update: St. David's South resolves water, heat issues for now as 2 other St. David's facilities lose water pressure - KXAN.com