The Veterans Home of Wyoming in Buffalo has seen a large number of COVID-19 cases in their population in recent weeks, and the Johnson County Healthcare Center has been working with them to not only help the staff take care of their residents, but to also hopefully keep the hospital from becoming overwhelmed with COVID-positive patients from the facility.
The hospital board of trustees received a recent update from healthcare center staff about how they have been helping the veterans home during this difficult time.
Mary Litzel, Director of Nursing at the facility, said they had four COVID-positive patients from the veterans home, but commended the staff there for their hard work which has resulted in most of their residents recovering in their rooms at the home, instead of needing to be hospitalized.
The Johnson County Healthcare Center will have two doctors and a marketing specialist that will start their new positions with the facility in the new year.
CEO Sean McCallister informed the board of trustees at their recent meeting of the new hires, and gave more details on the doctors.
Dr. Amber Kinner and Dr. Erica Rinker both specialize in family medicine.
The other new hire is Jennifer Burden, who will be the new marketing manager, taking the place of Marcy Schueler, who resigned earlier this fall.
Burden will begin her position with the JCHC on January 4
th.
As the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine began arriving in five communities around Wyoming last week, health officials in Johnson County were refining the details of the countyâs vaccine plan.Â
And now, vaccine doses are on the horizon for the county. On Dec. 20, the Wyoming Department of Health indicated that Johnson County is slated to recive 400 doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of the year. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the Moderna vaccine for emergency use on Friday. On Tuesday, Johnson County public health response coordinator Robin King said vaccinations are set to begin next week.Â
These doses will likely be split between the county public health office and the hospital, with 75% of the doses going to the hospital and 25% to public health, said Trisha Thompson, county public health nurse manager. Â
December 22, 2020
Funeral services for Burt Allgood, 64 year old Buffalo resident who passed away early Tuesday morning at the Johnson County Health Care Center in Buffalo will be held by his family later this summer.
Donations in Burtâs memory may be made to the Johnson County Library or the Buffalo Senior Center in care of the Harness Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo. Online condolences may be made atwww.harnessfuneralhome.com
Public Health’s Robin King and Johnson County Healthcare Center’s Christina Duarte spoke about the issue.
King said the Moderna vaccine should be here this week, and they expect to begin vaccinations for healthcare providers next week.
Because of the scheduled deliveries of the vaccine and the numbers associated with the various tiered priority groups she expects to move through them fairly quickly once vaccinations begin.
King reported 34 total cases of COVID-19 in Johnson County last week.
Duarte said the current census in the hospital is six, four of which are COVID-positive patients from the veterans’ home.
Residents of the Amie Holt Care Center were able to come out isolation in their rooms and begin having visitors, although they are seeing them outside at this point.