2020 brought many changes to the typical lifestyle of most people around the world. A novel virus emerged and plagued the globe. The past 2 years has seen schools closed, restaurants open for carry out or delivery only, cut hours at stores normally open 24 hours, “non-essential” services like recreation, salons, etc. closed; work from home, online schooling, and hospitals overflowing and overwhelmed. Then the day came when people were required to wear masks in public in attempts to stave off this rampaging rookie virus that crippled the entire globe.
And this is how the population around the world went about their day-to-day lives in this warped abridged version of life. And it became normalcy – how easily we forgot that stores used to be open 24 hours, instead of closing at 9:00 p.m.. That pick up and delivery are customary and not a “perk” of the business.
For the healthcare industry, procedures, therapies and other standard care of patients was put on the back burner as healthcare providers and hospital staff turned their focus to caring for the sick in the community. Respiratory Clinics just for COVID testing and care were established at local hospitals, to corral the sickness to one place and help distance the illness from others.
Paulding County Hospital experienced many changes due to the aftershock of COVID-19. They established a Respiratory Clinic for COVID in a separate location on the Paulding campus. In the photo above, the Med-Surg wing was all separated with clear plastic walls to make sterile “rooms” for healthcare workers to change PPE to take care of patients. During 2021, on average half of their inpatients were COVID+ patients which made this wing imperative to the well-being of the patients and staff at PCH.
Now it’s 2022, the mask mandates have all but been lifted. Hours at stores are being extended, no longer are their guest counts for entering an establishment, the barriers are being put away, and at Paulding County Hospital they are letting the community know that its permissible and advisable to resume your regular tests and procedures and clinics that may have been put on pause due to this precarious novel virus season. So far in 2022, the COVID+ patients has been near zero on average. The case counts for Paulding County have gone from in the 200s per 100,000 in January to 48.2 per 100,000 (or 9 cases) by the end of February 2022. With this down shift of COVID cases, the Respiratory Clinic has moved to only being used in an “as needed” capacity, freeing up medical staff to focus on their intended departments’ needs.
Speaking with Ron Goedde, Paulding County Hospital CEO, he stated, “It’s time to address those aches and pains that have been plaguing you as there are now so few COVID cases in the county.”
Paulding County Hospital offers many services to care for its patients. March is National Kidney Awareness Month, Sleep Awareness Month, and Endometriosis Awareness Month. PCH offers clinics for all three of these areas. All elective surgeries are open for scheduling. Regular testings — ie. Mammograms — are on schedule again.
“Our Rehab department is fully staffed and available to schedule all your rehabilitation needs. We also offer Pediatric Occupational Therapy here at PCH,” stated Naomi Nicely, PCH Comm. Relations Coordinator.
The Fitness Center and Inpatient Rehabilitation Services at Paulding County Hospital are available to anyone who has need. It is most advantageous that PCH has the Swing Bed Inpatient Transitional Program as it is not standard in some of the larger hospital settings. Swing Beds are available to those patients who need just a little bit more help improving before they go home after surgery or other procedures. This program is fully staffed with healthcare professionals to assist patients with therapy and care until they feel confident to return home.
In addition to the March’s Awareness days, March 30th is Doctors Day. Paulding County Hospital is fortunate to be able to offer four clinic locations throughout the county, enabling them to better meet the needs of the community. PCH’s primary care providers consists of two Nurse Practitioners, one Physicians Assistant, three MD’s and two DO’s.
It’s business as usual for Paulding County and Paulding County Hospital. It’s been a long two years, but the end is in sight. And Paulding County Hospital is here for the community to assist in whatever capacity they are capable.
