Local News – Thursday, September 24th, 2020
The Dent County Health Center Administrator Kendra Mobray is saddened to report that there have now been two COVID-19 related deaths of Dent County residents. One individual was in their 80’s, the other in their 70’s. They are taking all necessary precautions to keep our patients and community safe and will continue to diligently monitor the COVID-19 situation and follow CDC guidelines to help protect the public health and limit spread of this infection. It is important that everyone continues to practice basic preventative measures to help decrease the spread. These measures, as outlined by the CDC, include: avoiding contact with people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes, proper hand-washing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, and staying home when sick. The Health Center highly encourages anyone who suspects that you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, to contact your healthcare provider.
An accident happened in Reynolds County on Highway 21 about two miles south of Centerville at 4:53 Wednesday afternoon. According to the highway patrol report, a 2013 Buick LeSabre driven westbound by 37-year old Christine Patterson of Salem, failed to yield to a 2013 Jeep Wrangler driven southbound by 53-year old Mark Shanahan of Rogers, Arkansas. The LeSabre crossed the roadway and was struck by the Wrangler. Patterson suffered serious injuries and was flown to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. A passenger in the Wrangler, 53-year old Karen Baskin of Centerville, Arkansas, suffered moderate injuries and taken by ambulance to the Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital. It was unknown if Patterson was wearing a seat restraint when the accident happened while Shanahan and Baskin were wearing their seat restraints. The Buick sustained extensive damage and the Jeep had moderate damages. Both vehicles were removed from the scene by Hills Metals and Motors from Ellington.
The Salem Memorial District Hospital regular board meeting was held Tuesday evening in the Hospital Library. The Hospital Controller gave the summary of operations for the month of August where the hospital had 65 inpatient admissions with 208 inpatient census days. There were 1,776 outpatient registrations, 1,415 cardiopulmonary procedures, 6,994 lab tests, 1,101 radiology procedures, 681 rehabilitation treatments, 25 surgeries, 295 home health visits and 658 emergency room visits. There were a total of 194 ambulance runs with 116 patients transported with 78 dry runs. The hospital showed a loss from operations of $127,091 and expenses over revenue after taxes of $88,546 after receiving $36,100 in COVID-19 stimulus funds. Chief Nursing Officer, Deb Hines gave the nursing report for August. A state survey was conducted, which was a revisit from a March survey where a plan of corrective action was accepted. They also investigated a patient safety complaint and found the complaint unsubstantiated. Hospital Administrator Kasey Lucas reported there would be no Auxiliary meetings for the remainder of 2020. Chief Operating Officer Jason Edwards reported that the next fundraiser would be the Dancing with the Salem Stars on Saturday, January 30. The foundation has submitted a grant application for the USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine to provide a tele-health system called TytoCare to area schools. There will be a demonstration of the equipment for the doctors to review. Lucas reported that the month-long health fair has been well received by the community. Hines shared an update on the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 14 staff have tested positive with 6 being recovered and 8 still have active cases. There were 2 patients in the Long-Term Care that tested positive and 2 other patients admitted into the hospital. The hospital is currently testing between 20-30 people each day and finding 5-6 positive cases. Lucas gave an update on the current expansion and renovation project for the MRI building. The building is being re-shielded due to excessive moisture content in the plywood that was used. This should be complete by the end of September with the machine being installed in October and ready to use in November. The Window Project is complete and the sewer project is ongoing with some electrical wires being relocated overhead. The board then went into closed session.
On September 18, 2020, the Salem R-80 School District was notified a student at William Lynch had tested positive for COVID-19. The students, their families, and other staff members in close contact with the student were notified by the Dent County Health Department as it relates to possible quarantines. Yesterday the district was notified that a staff member at William Lynch tested positive for coronavirus. The students, their families, and other staff members in close contact with the staff member are being contacted by the Dent County Health Center as it relates to possible quarantines. The Salem R-80 School District will continue to work closely with local health officials to monitor evolving circumstances and revise our plans as needed. They have placed a dashboard on their website where you can view reporting information for the entire district. Thank you for your understanding as they continue to work to keep our schools safe, healthy, and open.