Building resilience in uncertain times:

1. Adaptation and growth happens over time. There is no “one size fits all” way to cope.
2. Resist judging yourself. Life has changed and your response to that change is not going to be the “normal” one right now.
3. Realize that humans are built to be resilient. We are able to adapt and change, even when we think we may not be able to make it through. We figure out a way.
4. Coping strategies that worked before may need to be updated. Get creative. Add to your emotional toolbox.
5. Make small changes. They are easier to achieve and maintain, especially when so much outside of ourselves has shifted.
6. Advocate for yourself. Everyone’s responses to stress and traumatic events are different. Allow yourself the space to cope however you need.
7. Practice acknowledging you are doing the best you can in the moment.

If you have a chronic health condition and have regular appointments with your primary care physician, please be sure to keep any scheduled appointments. For patients with ongoing health issues like heart problems, COPD, diabetes or other conditions, maintaining your scheduled appointments is really important.

As we practice social distancing and while many of us are under “stay at home” orders, you may be wondering how to handle routine doctor appointments. Wamego Family Clinic providers are still seeing some patients in-person and also have virtual appointments available. If your health condition is stable, a virtual visit may be all you need at this time. You may even be able to handle new prescriptions, medication renewals, medication adjustments, and arrange follow up visits and cardiac testing, this way.

Virtual visits are a great way for our providers to check in with you. These visits are available through your cell phone, tablet, laptop, or computer. For our patients who do not have access to these devices, we have additional options. Patients may report to the back parking lot where an associate will bring them an iPad with appointments login instructions. They can then chat with their provider from their vehicle. Medicare and Medicaid, along with many private insurance companies now pay for this type of visit.

For more urgent care, or if your heart condition is not stable, you may need an in-person visit. We have taken action to minimize your risk of exposure to COVID-19 if you do need to come into the clinic or emergency room. Our facility is checking patients for symptoms at the door and screening patients who are ill with COVID-19-like symptoms to ensure we take the proper precautions to isolate them from other patients.

Please do not forgo care for important health issues, as doing so might result in a hospitalization. Unfortunately, there have been many examples during the COVID-19 pandemic where patients have remained at home with a worsening serious condition out of fear of calling the doctor or going to the Emergency Room, only to experience a bad outcome by delaying care. Stay in contact with your doctor so you are still able to get the care you need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, call Wamego Family Clinic at 785-456-6288. As always, if you are experiencing an emergency, please call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room for care. Thank you for continuing to allow our team of healthcare professionals to care for you and your family.

I wanted to give our community an update on how Wamego Health Center was keeping up with the recent changes. We knew long before this coronavirus outbreak that we had an extraordinary staff. That has been reaffirmed daily with this recent outbreak. The Staff at WHC is holding up tremendously well. Their ability to prepare and adapt to these changes has been impressive. It is truly an honor to work alongside these heroes.

WHC has partnered with Wamego Telecom to have the ability to provide our patients and visitors the ability to visit “virtually” with facetime. This allows our patients the chance to see their families and hear their voices, which is so important in their healing. We have also established a platform for virtual visits for you to see your doctor. This allows you to have a clinic visit without leaving your home or your car. We are blessed to have such a generous team at WTC to work with during these times.

The question of Personal Protective Equipment (gowns, gloves, masks etc.) has come up frequently. Do we have enough? Can we get more? The answer is we are adequately prepared for the current status of the outbreak. We are following the CDC guidelines for PPE usage to protect our patients and our staff but also conserve where appropriate. We are praying for a quick resolution to this outbreak along with our community. If it lasts for a longer period of time we want to be prepared with appropriate protection.

There have been volunteers asking to sew homemade masks within the community. This is such a generous offer of your time and talents to donate to our community. We don’t know yet how these donations will fit into our PPE usage, they may be used by patients at their home or as covers for staff masks to preserve the integrity. We are aware that other non-medical facilities or individuals may have a need for these items. If you have another source which can make use of these, please donate to them there.

Finally, we want to thank you. We understand that your sacrifices within your own homes are very real and very important to this fight. Social distancing while extremely uncomfortable provides our community the best opportunity to reduce exposure. Your diligence to safety and keeping your family healthy is an action that has already reduced the impact of this virus. Continue to be a pillar of strength to your family and let them know that they are also heroes in this battle.

Wamego Health Center is here for you with any needs that you have. If you have questions regarding Cornavirus please contact your primary care physician office. If you need care please know that we are here for you and always will be. May God bless you and your family.

We are proud of our community and our associates here in Wamego. I want to thank our associates who are still working in our hospital and clinic to keep our community healthy and prepared.

Please note that we are not allowing any visitors in our inpatient unit at this time. Effective immediately, the hospital is no longer allowing any visitors except in end-of-life situations, where only one visitor per patient will be allowed. All other visitation is limited to virtual visitation.

It is going to take all of us adhering to the CDC and KDHE guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19 infection. While most people who are exposed to COVID-19 will recover with no issues, there are community members who have a high risk of developing life threatening complications. These are the people we need to protect.

• Stay home with your family members, especially if you’re sick.
• Wash your hands often and thoroughly.
• Only leave your home if you need to – to get medications, groceries, or other essentials.
• Call your older family members or neighbors to check in with them and see if they have what they need (they are members of our vulnerable population).

If you think you are sick and are showing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever of 100.3 F or higher, shortness of breath and cough), you can call a local hotline – 785-323-6400. A health care representative will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. In addition, Ascension Kansas has a 24/7 call center for anyone needing COVID-19 information. That toll-free number, 1-855-782-1039, is staffed 24/7, seven days a week.

We encourage people to call either of those numbers or their primary care physician before making the decision to leave their homes. In most cases, people infected with COVID-19 can successfully – and safely – recover at home. Only in very serious cases will people require hospital treatment or hospitalization.

Ascension Via Christi and Wamego Health Center continue to aggressively respond to the evolving Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak, announced additional measures today designed to protect patients, visitors, caregivers and associates.

Those measures, effective today, include:

• Revising visitor guidelines to request no more than one visitor per patient and no visitors under age 18. Implementing screening for everyone entering its hospitals and outpatient clinics through limited entrances at each site.
  • Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan – Patient Entrance and Emergency Room entrances should be used
  • Wamego Health Center – Main Entrance, Emergency Room and Rehabilitation Gym entrances should be used
• Anyone who affirms that they have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be asked not to visit and return when he or she is no longer symptomatic. They also will be advised to consider a virtual visit through Facebook, Skype or other online platforms. Those who are approved to visit will be asked to limit their movement within the hospital to and from the patient’s room.

“These steps are being taken proactively to protect our patients and associates, while still respecting the

rights of our patients to receive visitors,” said Bob Copple, President of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in

Manhattan. “We continue to be committed to the health and safety of our patients, their guests and our associates.”

Leaders at Ascension Via Christi and Wamego Health Center are in close communication with community physicians and the Riley County & Pottawatomie County Health Departments to help coordinate activities and share knowledge, he added.

“This is a time to stay informed and look for official sources of information, including the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Riley County Health Department,” Copple said. “For the time being, we encourage the community stay home and practice social distancing, and especially individuals who feel unwell, have a fever or have travelled recently. It will take all of us to help reduce the spread of this illness.”

 

 

 

More COVID-19 news:

5 Things to know about Novel Coronavirus