Newman Regional Health’s emergency room remains busy, but hospital admissions have not had a recent spike because of coronavirus activity.
On KVOE’s Talk of Emporia late last week, Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright said both the emergency department and respiratory clinic have seen an increase of traffic, in part due to the reopening of schools and higher education over the last six weeks. However, hospitalizations have stayed under seven per day for over a month, based on current stats from Lyon County Public Health. The hospital’s COVID Care Unit was deactivated in August, thus freeing up staff for other treatments — and Wright says that approach has worked.
Facilities Director Harold Blits says the hospital has had an ongoing struggle in securing PPE, although not to the extent of other peer hospitals. He says the powered air-purified respirators, while cumbersome, have helped staff to do their jobs, and he’s also grateful for a range of partnerships — including one with Emporia State University — to get N-95 respirators, face shields and other equipment to the hospital as needed. He also says ventilation is constantly checked to make sure the hospital environment protects patients and staff.
As the hospital continues its COVID treatments, it’s also in the middle of one major construction project as the outpatient therapy wing moves from the Newman Therapy Building at 12th and Chestnut to the former emergency department and information technology hardware space. Blits says “deconstruction” is well underway at this time, and hospital administrators believe it’s best to demolish as much as possible at the start for the best finished product.
The hospital is also gearing up for renovating certain sections of the roof which haven’t been replaced since the mid-1990s in some cases. The work ranges from new top coats in some areas to full-blown replacement in others.
