Monthly Archives: March 2020

(WAOW) -- Ascension Wisconsin is further expanding temporary visitor restrictions, according to a press release.

"Our goal is to protect our associates and those we are privileged to serve by limiting possible exposure to COVID-19 and directing people to the right level of care," the release said. "The following visitor restrictions are similar to the infection control precautions we put in place in our hospitals and care sites every year during flu season to protect our patients, visitors and associates."

The updated restricted visitation policy at Ascension Wisconsin, per the release, includes:

All visitors, associates, clinicians and vendors entering Ascension Wisconsin facilities will be screened for flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion and or sore throat.

Minimized entrance points as needed.

Visitors will not be permitted for patients under investigation or with a confirmed case of COVID-19. Virtual options will be discussed with patients and families.

Ascension hospitals in central and northern Wisconsin will have visiting hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

It is highly recommended that children under age 18 do not visit during this time.

Visitors will be limited to one visitor per patient at any given time.

Per guidance from the CDC, restriction of visitors who have returned from a country within the past 14 days that the CDC has designated as Level 3 Warning or Level 2 for Novel Coronavirus. Those who do visit are encouraged to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer before and after any visit.

"We appreciate the cooperation of our visitors, patients, associates and providers to support our infection control efforts and help minimize the spread of respiratory infections and COVID-19," the release said.

Link:

Ascension Wisconsin expands temporary visitor restrictions - WAOW

SORRENTO - Louisiana State Police say a tragic crash in Ascension Parish resulted in a 26-year-old man's death.

The fatal incident took place Tuesday, March 17, shortly before 5 p.m.

Police say Darius Davis and two others were in a Chevrolet Tahoe, headed eastbound on I-10 when they got a flat tire.

So, when they were just west of LA Hwy 22, they stopped on the right-hand shoulder to change the tire.

But as the three were attempting to change the tire, the driver of a Ford F-250 who was also headed eastbound, swerved off-road and hit Davis, his two companions, and their SUV.

Davis sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene, his two companions suffered moderate wounds and were taken to an area hospital for treatment.

The driver of the Ford F-250, a 28-year-old named Jordan Waddell, was not injured by the crash and police say he showed no signs of impairment.

Waddell was arrested and booked into Ascension Parish Prison on one count of negligent homicide, two counts of negligent injuring, and one count of careless operation.

Police are still investigating the crash.

Read more here:

Ascension Parish: 26-year-old struck and killed while trying to change a tire - WBRZ

GONZALES Ascension Parish sheriff's deputies began collecting on Monday unused hand sanitizer, medical gloves and masks, and other personal protective equipment for area hospitals and nursing homes.

Sheriff Bobby Webre announced the supply drive in a statement Monday in an effort to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19 among health care workers.

Drop-off hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and materials should be delivered to the Sheriff's Training Center, 9094 S. St. Landry Road, Gonzales.

Other items being collected include goggles and face shields, the sheriff said.

For more information, call (225) 621-8300, option 1.

If you have questions about coronavirus, please email our newsroom at online@theadvocate.com.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Visit link:

Ascension sheriff collecting personal protective equipment supplies amid coronavirus outbreak - The Advocate

MILWAUKEE COUNTY Health care providers across the state continue the process of making testing available for people with a variety of symptoms of the coronavirus, but some continue to face challenges with a shortage of testing supplies.

Traffic signs now line the streets by Ascensions West Allis Gateway Clinic, directing cars to a drive-thru testing site for the coronavirus.

Its one of many that opened Monday, designated for those with milder symptoms to separate them from the more critical patients at Ascensions hospitals.

Others are in Franklin, Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Mount Pleasant, Grafton, with more opening in the area later this week.

Like all testing sites, you cant just show up. Youll need to undergo a phone or virtual screening ahead of time. Then if warranted, a nurse will make you an appointment.

A spokesperson for Ascension told TMJ4 News they have the supplies available to test these additional patients.

On the other hand, officials at Aurora Health Care said because of the national shortage of test kits, theyre putting a hold on opening drive-thru sites to conserve tests for those in critical need.

Initially, Aurora expected to open one this week at St. Lukes Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Officials with Aurora still say anyone with symptoms should call their hotline or schedule a virtual appointment before going to their facilities. Those with more critical symptoms will be sent to the hospital for testing, while those with milder symptoms will receive guidance on how to self-quarantine.

The drive-thru testing site at Froedtert Souths Pleasant Prairie Clinic also remains open by appointment for those who meet CDC criteria.

According to Andrea Palm of the Department of Health Services, theyre starting to see more health care providers have the capacity to test their own samples, taking a burden off the state lab.

What is happening through the state lab is about 400 tests a day, Palm said.

Until the testing supplies increase and more clinical labs receive authorization, Chief Medical Officer of the Bureau of Communicable Diseases, Dr. Ryan Westergaard urges providers to only send samples from critical patients to the lab.

We prioritize testing for people for whom its most important to know for their own management clinically, Dr. Westergaard said.

Officials from Ascension told TMJ4 News, samples from those with milder symptoms taken at these drive-thru sites will get tested at commercial labs.

For everything you need to know about testing, including contact information and how to get an appointment, click here.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Read the original here:

Health providers extend COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites, some postpone - WTMJ-TV

ASCENSION- A distillery in Ascension Parish recognized the demand for sanitizer and the materials around them that could be used to make the product.

Now they are producing it and giving it away to customers and nonprofit organizations for free.

Sugarfield Spirits, which normally produces adult beverages, has switched gears to make another alcohol-based product that consumers like Ed McCloud can't wait to get their hands on.

"We've been looking for hand sanitizer all over the city of course and nobody has it," says McCloud.

Thursday, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau lifted its federal restrictions, allowing distilleries like Sugarfield Spirits to turn their alcohol into hand sanitizer.

"Everybody is really scared right now. There's a lot going on. Anything a business can do, we're going to do," Owner Andrew Soltau says.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus spread in Louisiana, Soltau saw an opportunity to fill a void.

Soltau has already made several gallons of hand sanitizer to hand out to those in need.

"We donated everything that we had to a local daycare that was in need.They were completely out so we gave them all that we had," says Soltau.

Sugarfield Spirits is still in the liquor business, but they say they will be doing their part to help in this time of need.

They hope to hand out a new batch of hand sanitizer to the general public and nonprofit groups as early as Friday.

Original post:

Ascension distillery uses alcohol to create sanitizer; giving it to those in need - WBRZ

John Siebers of Appleton donated protective masks to ThedaCare at a collection point in Grand Chutes Goodwill store. Siebers and his daughter collected the masks from a home workshop and local businesses.(Photo: William Glasheen, Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-W)

Reader question:Given shortages of PPE insome areas of the nation, does anyone know ofany local organizations or groups taking donations of N95 face masks, etc.? Like me, I assume many homeowners and small businesses may have a small supply. Id love to now where I might donate before the need becomes critical around here.

Answer: ThedaCare and Ascension have both said theyll accept donations of personal protective equipment, but they ask that you not drop off itemsat the hospitals directly.

ThedaCares donations can be dropped off at Goodwill stores in Appleton, Grand Chute and Neenah between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., or emailThedaCares foundation at foundations@thedacare.org or 920-738-6503.

Ascension asks that those interested in donating email AscensionWIFoundations@ascension.org. Donations will be picked up and delivered to an Ascension location, including St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Ascension Calumet Hospital in Chilton.

Ascension isinterested in getting donations of isolation gowns, earloop or tie masks, N95 respirators, hand sanitizers, faceshields, surface disinfectants, powered air purifying respirators (PAPR), controlled air purifying respirators (CAPR) or other approved PPE supplies advised by the CDC.

If youd like to donate to another medical clinic or nursing home, call the organization directly to ask if its accepting personal protective equipment donations and, if so, how it'scollecting those items.

Also,see Appleton coronavirus help on postcrescent.com forongoing donation information.

Contact Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com. Followher on Twitter at@wallenfang.

More: The Buzz: Updated list of restaurants offering take-out, delivery

More: The Buzz: How three businesses are adjusting to life during the coronavirus

Read or Share this story: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/money/companies/buzz/2020/03/23/buzz-how-donate-masks-and-supplies-area-hospitals/2901384001/

Read the original here:

The Buzz: How to donate masks and other supplies to area hospitals - Post-Crescent

Two new COVID-19 testing centers opened in Escambia County on Monday; they are in addition to a Sacred Heart site that opened last week. Details on all three options are below.

Baptist Health Care

Baptist Health Care now offers a screening center to evaluate people with respiratory illness and COVID-19 symptoms. To better and more safely serve our community members, this Baptist Medical Group location is set up to provide a controlled environment that applies the social distancing guidelines encouraged by the CDC. The centers focus is to provide a more comprehensive treatment program by screening those who may have COVID-19 and treating people with Flu-A, Flu-B, pneumonia or other respiratory illnesses.

All individuals with respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever and shortness of breath can set up an appointment with the screening center. They should contact their Baptist Medical Group primary care provider office.

An appointment is required.The Baptist Medical Group office will assess a persons symptoms to determine if a visit to the clinic is needed.If they meet the criteria, an appointment will be scheduled for them.They will be given a phone number to call upon their arrival.Patients will be asked to remain in their vehicles, and a BMG team member will greet them and escort them to the clinic.

Brownsville Community Center

Escambia County, the City of Pensacola, Ascension Sacred Heart and Community Health Northwest Florida have partnered to open a drive-through COVID-19 testing site at Brownsville Community Center.

All patients are required to be screened before arriving at the drive-through testing center by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Screening Call Center at (850) 746-2684. Those who have not been screened over the phone will not be provided access to the drive-through test center.Once patients have been pre-screened through the call center for symptoms, they will be sent to the drive-through testing site for a nasal swab test.The screening call center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The drive-through clinic will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ascension Sacred Heart

On Monday, March 16, Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart opened the first regional drive-through testing center for COVID-19.

All patients are required to be screened before arriving at the drive-through testing center by calling the Ascension Sacred Heart COVID-19 Screening Call Center at (850) 746-2684.

The screening call center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Written by William Reynolds Filed Under News

Read more:

Two New COVID-19 Testing Options Are Now Open - NorthEscambia.com

Kevin Robinson, Pensacola News Journal Published 4:16 p.m. CT March 17, 2020 | Updated 8:39 p.m. CT March 20, 2020

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

To provide our community with important public safety information, the Pensacola News Journal is making stories related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.

On the second day of operating Escambia County's first drive-thru testing site for the coronavirus, Ascension Sacred Heart more than doubled the number of people it tested.

Florida health officials announced Escambia County's first confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Statewide, they announced 32 new COVID-19 cases and a death related to the respiratory disease on Tuesday morning. The state is still working to make testing more widely available, and because test kits and analysis labs are limited, officials have tried to be efficient and judicious when deciding who to test.

Ascension Sacred Heart's model of pre-screening callersfor symptoms and then sending them to a drive-thru testing site for a nasal swab has proven effective and has become a model for other organizations around the state and nation.

More: Pensacola drive-thru coronavirus testing clinic swabs 61 patients, receives over 500 calls

More: First positive coronavirus test confirmed in Escambia County

Justin Labrato, chief operating officer for Ascension Sacred Heart, said Sacred Heart tested 61 people on Monday and more than doubledthat number Tuesday as word of mouth spread and the work flow was streamlined.

"Since yesterday morning, we've had over 200 people that met criteria, that have driven over to the drive-thru testing center and been swabbed, and that have had their lab (work) sent on to be tested," Labrato said. "The call center itself has already screened 1,000 callers, so about 20% of the callers end up meeting all the criteria that we're following."

Addressing why only 1 in 5 is sent for testing, Labrato said Sacred Heart is closely following guidelines established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I would say the majority of the people have very valid concernsfor example, they've received a letter from a cruise ship they were on but they don't have symptoms. Some of those are being screened out," Labrato said. "Now if they have symptoms tomorrow, we'll test for them. But nationally, there are only so many tests out here we can do, so that's why everyone is using the same criteria to make sure that we're testing the appropriate people right now."

He said he understood that was frustrating to some, and said that the hospital was doing its best to direct callers to appropriate care options.

"There's some people that are just like, 'No, but I really, really feel like I'm sick and I want the test.' We're having to politelytell them that we can't right now if they don't meet the criteria. We're as polite as we can be, and wegive them further information on what they can do as well as give them information on a virtual doctor visit that they could do from their home."

Ascension Sacred Heart medical professionals set-up and operate a drive-through test site for the COVID-19 virus on Monday, March 16, 2020.(Photo: Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com)

Labrato said the call center is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and pre-screening calls typically take three to five minutesfor people who are screenedout, and around 10 minutes for people who qualify for testing. He said staff had been managing the call volume well and Sacred Heart was shifting more resources to the call center, but he noted "if I added five more phone lines, they would all be ringing immediately."

Sacred Heart is not publicly disclosing the location of the drive-thru test site in an effort to help ensure people go through the pre-screening process instead of just showing up at the site.

The outdoor testing site is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Labrato said the time and testing hours were intentionally limited in part for the comfort and safety of medical staff who must wear gloves, face masks, gowns and other protective gear that can be stifling in the heat.

In terms of general protective practice against transmission of COVID-19, most gear is exchanged and disposed between each individual patient. Globally, there have been shortages of face masks and other protective gear. Labrato said Sacred Heart is monitoring those issues daily, but was in good shape so far.

In terms of the testing procedure for citizens, Labrato said lines of cars could be long in the morning, but the testing procedure is generally about five minutes.

"You have the line, and there are screening personnel who are the first line of defense to make sure the person actually called the pre-screening center and that they're registered in the system ... then they drive through the parking lot, and the very first stopis a team that asks for their consent to be able to do the testing, because we've done testing on kids who are 3 years old, up to 80-year-old patients. And so then they go to the final step of the line, and that's where they do a nasal swab."

Labrato said theSacred Heart staff are picking up tests roughly every 30 minutes, taking them to the hospital to be sent of for testing. He said the state is working on setting up more labs to analyze results, but that currently the process takes about a week.

An important function of the call center is to close the loop for patients when results do come in, Labrato said. Sacred Heart is able to contact the patient, their primary care doctorand inthe case of a positive test, the Florida Department of Health, and informeveryone of the results.

Speaking generally to the importance of communication, Labrato said the team has a debriefing every day at 4 p.m. to talk about what worked, what didn't and what could be done to improve. He said Community Health Northwest Florida is expected to open another testing site in the coming days, and that thehealth care organization and many others were at the table to ensure that, under the circumstances, they put in placethe best possible practices to get the best possible outcomes for their patients.

"We only had about 72 hours to pull this together at Sacred Heart," Labrato said. "I have a team of about 70 people who are SacredHeart leaders and clinicians that helped put this together.But with the success we've had in the last two days,we have helped multiple other health systems in Jacksonville, in New York, and we just got one from Flagler (County) on the east side of the state. Everybody is wanting to learn best practices."

To be pre-screened, callthe call center at850-746-2684.

Kevin Robinson can be reached at krobinson4@pnj.com or 850-435-8527.

Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/03/17/sacred-heart-pensacola-has-tested-200-coronavirus/5066713002/

Read the rest here:

Numbers double on second day of Sacred Heart drive-thru coronavirus testing - Pensacola News Journal