CNO White reports COVID cases remain at zero in ECU

COVID updates, staff additions, construction updates, health needs assessment results and new local campaign information were main topics of discussion among staff reports at the latest Haxtun Health Board of Directors meeting last week. The Haxtun Health Board of Directors meet the fourth Monday of the month in the upstairs meeting room of the Extended Care Unit. July’s meeting took place on Monday the 25th.

Chief Community Relations Officer Julia Biesemeier told board members that Haxtun Health recently wrapped up a community health needs assessment and received roughly 60 responses.

“We have received great feedback from those who took the survey,” she said. “Those taking the survey were from a wide range with ages 40-54 and 65-84 leading the pack in responding.”

Biesemeier said in the coming months, data from the survey will be analyzed and presented to the Board, stakeholders and the community.

The local CCRO also touched on a new campaign launched by Haxtun Health — Healthy Student, Happy Teacher. The campaign, she said, focuses on annual wellness exams and well child checks. With each wellness exam and well child check throughout the months of July and August, Biesemeier said Haxtun Health donates $10 to area teachers.

Biesemeier said throughout the month of July, the marketing team focused on promoting the Healthy Student, Happy Teacher campaign as well as sports physicals for local athletes.

Both Chief Of Staff Dr. Ben Stephenson and Chief Nursing Officer Lea White touched on recent COVID numbers, both locally and at the State level. The CNO said that since the June meeting, three staff members tested positive for COVID. Additionally, the facility had two patients in the hospital as outpatients and two inpatients with COVID.

“We still have had no ECU patients test positive for COVID so far in 2022,” White said.

Dr. Stephenson also touched on the issue, noting that the past two months have seen an increase in positive cases.

“Overall, in Colorado, the number of daily positive cases ranges from 1,000 to 3,000,” he said. “The State positivity percentage remains around 10 percent and we have had positive tests in our community.”

Dr. Stephenson said Haxtun Health does not send positive tests in for variant identifications, however, the predominant variant in Colorado continues to be Omicron.

“The initial COVID vaccinations, along with the booster, are not as effective against this variant, however, the severity of this variant is lower than previous variants,” Dr. Stephenson said.

Board members and administration leaders also discussed the infrastructure project happening on now on the main campus. Biesemeier said the business office and the kitchen have re-opened for use.

She also touched briefly on the roof project. “Some roofing material is on site, however, we are waiting on glue/special nails/membrane and currently have no information on delivery of those items,” Biesemeier said. “We will not begin the roof until all items are onsite.”

Pace added to the conversation, noting large containers sitting in the parking lot across the street on the north side of the building.

“These are just some of the supplies that will be used to put a new roof on the hospital part of our building,” he said. “We have already put a new roof on the administration building and will be putting a new roof on the rest of the building soon.”

New staff additions, noted in the meeting, include: Michelle Hatchett, PharmD, as a Pharmacist; Jennifer Bott, Chronic Care Management at the Specialty Clinic; Becca Kenzie, Medical Assistant at the Specialty Clinic; and Reba Bean, PA-C, medical staff team at the Fleming Clinic.