GUEST: ‘The Year of the Nurse’ | Covid-19 | corsicanadailysun.com – Corsicana Daily Sun

To say that this year has been a challenge would be an understatement. The pandemic has affected every part of our daily personal and professional lives. My colleagues in healthcare have never experienced the onslaught of work that has been put before them in their careers. Yet we are still here, every day, doing our best to care for patients and offer encouragement and support to each other.

Its always good to find the silver lining in difficult times. New relationships were formed out of the need for collaboration; established relationships have been reenergized and fortified. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the hospital works daily with the Navarro County Health Department, Navarro County Office of Emergency Management, Dr. Kent Rogers, area school districts, Corsicana Fire Rescue, Navarro College, county and city officials and local nursing home administrators to ensure coordination and unification with these entities.

COVID-19 has tested our way of thinking through logistics and creativity and working as a team. It has gently nudged us into the world of tele-health. It has highlighted the work of nurses, housekeepers, lab technicians, respiratory therapists, supply chain managers, quality and infection control professionals, and those other healthcare workers that have long been the unsung heroes of patient care.

In honor of 2020 being the Year of the Nurse, and in recognition of the critical role nurses have played in treating patients throughout the COVID pandemic, the 2020 Nurse Excellence Award went to Toni Willingham, R.N. Toni was chosen by her peers the award for her outstanding contributions in the areas of leadership and compassion. Other nursing excellence nominees were Michelle Monk, R.N., Kelly Alphin, R.N., Cathy Johnson, R.N., Shelby Gist, R.N., Jessica Parman, R.N. and Sandra Vernon, R.N.

In spite of COVID-19, Navarro Regional Hospital is experiencing growth and expanding services to better serve the community. Here are some highlights of what we accomplished in 2020:

COVID-19 vaccination distribution- Navarro Regional Hospital is an approved provider of the vaccine. The first shipment of the Moderna vaccine arrived onsite on Monday, Dec. 28th. As of this writing, the vaccine has been administered to over 40 employees. Although we do not plan to make the vaccine mandatory, we anticipate many of our healthcare workers will choose to be vaccinated. We are focused on educating our employees about the vaccine, including sharing information about safety, efficacy and side effects.

New providers- Five new providers were added to the team in 2020. Jana Brock, M.D. is a family medicine physician at Corsicana Crossing. Larry McCullough, M.D. is an OB/GYN practicing at Medical Associates of Navarro County. Jessy Varghese, N.P. joined the staff at Navarro Family Clinic after many years as an ER nurse. Bobby Smith, D.O., general surgery, is a welcome addition to the OR team and Jessica Farley, M.D., cardiologist, began in seeing patients in July; she has been instrumental in building the cardiac catheterization program at Navarro Regional. To date, Dr. Farley has performed over 20 heart caths and multiple positive interventions have been performed.

Solis Mammography- Navarro Regional Hospital is proud to announce a joint venture with Solis mammography. Some of you may recognize the Solis name, as they have stand-alone mammography centers as well as hospital based centers. Solis is the largest independent provider of mammograms in the country, with over 70 locations nationwide. Solis offers 3D screening and diagnostic mammography. The Solis center will be located inside the hospital, in the old emergency department area. The center will open in the first quarter of 2021. Some of the key benefits of the Solis partnership are online scheduling, a relaxing spa-like environment, 30 minute screening, SmartCurve Comfort technology, and separating parking area and entrance.

New location for Navarro Family Medicine and outpatient physical therapy- Navarro Family Medicine, currently located across from the hospital, will relocate to its new home at 1321 W. 2nd Avenue. The space is being completely renovated to accommodate the walk-in clinic, the offices of Dr. Courtney Janick, Dr. Callum McCormick as well as outpatient physical therapy. The space will be flexible to allow for future expansion, including adding additional providers.

Acute services expansion - Medical Associates of Navarro County has partnered with Access Physicians, a telemedicine group, to help deliver quality care for pulmonology services, and we expect to add neurology in early 2021 for clinic patients. The pulmonologists and neurologists work hand-in-hand with our doctors and nurses to diagnose and treat our patients. Convenient clinic access with no need to travel long distances for specialty care is a distinct advantage. We expect that infectious disease will be the next tele services to come online in early 2021 for inpatient consults. Additionally, since implementing the inpatient tele-stroke program this year, more patients have been able to receive care here at home versus transferring to an out-of-town hospital.

As we come to the end of 2020, please remember that no matter the challenges, our staff will continue to hold the mission statement of Navarro Regional Hospital in the highest regard: to provide quality, comprehensive health services to our community with compassion and a focus on service. I wish you and your family and happy and healthy holiday season.

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GUEST: 'The Year of the Nurse' | Covid-19 | corsicanadailysun.com - Corsicana Daily Sun