CHI St. Joseph’s Health Press Release
We do want to assure the community that CHI St. Joseph’s Health is closely monitoring all developments with the coronavirus. Please share the attached press release with the community. We are in contact with local and state authorities as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our staff is following the latest guidance from these public health agencies. We will continue to provide updates to you to keep you informed of our ongoing work. For additional and helpful information, please visit the CDC’s coronavirus disease link: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you so much for assistance
HUBBARD COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE
PARK RAPIDS, MN (March 12, 2020) CHI St. Joseph’s Health Community Health and CHI St. Joseph’s Health hospital have been monitoring the Novel Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, situation since it began, meeting weekly and preparing for possible outcomes. As of March 12th, 2020, there are no known or presumptive cases in Hubbard County MN. We have the capability to test for the virus but have not been required to do so yet. As the public health agent for Hubbard County, we are in close contact with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and will work with them if the virus begins to spread in our communities. Currently there are 9 known cases in Minnesota, out of 320 tested for the virus.
COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus that has not been found in people before. This virus probably originally emerged from an animal source but is now able to spread from person-to-person. The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to what someone may be experiencing as the result of seasonal influenza – namely a fever, cough, or shortness of breath. These symptoms on their own are not worrisome and should not cause alarm. But if someone exhibits these symptoms who has recently traveled to areas with widespread COVID-19 illness or has been in close contact with a known positive case, that individual should immediately notify their health care provider, who will coordinate with the appropriate public health officials to determine next steps. Additionally, that individual should limit movement within the community and limit visitors until further guidance can be given.
Based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of other coronaviruses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure.
There is currently no vaccine or antiviral treatment available for coronavirus. In our area we do have influenza and cold viruses circulating, and CHI St. Joseph’s Health recommends taking everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs including regular hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or an elbow, and staying home when you’re sick. We also encourage influenza vaccination if you have not already done so. All nonessential travel to areas affected by COVID-19 is also discouraged. If you are in a higher risk category for complications, we would recommend taking additional care, following CDC guidelines.
As this situation is changing rapidly, we will provide updates on our local situation regularly via our Facebook page. Please use the CDC website for the most current guidelines and recommendations, found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. The CDC website includes guidelines for individuals, families, schools, faith communities, long term care, and health care providers. CHI St. Joseph’s Health Community Health and CHI St. Joseph’s Health hospital are committed to the safety and health of our community, and we will continue to work together and with community partners throughout this changing situation.
About CHI St. Joseph’s Health
CHI St. Joseph’s Health is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving communities in Hubbard, Becker, Cass and Wadena Counties since 1946. In recent years, CHI St. Joseph’s Health’s award-winning teams received several national honors including: The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures in surgery: Top 100 Critical Access Hospital, HealthStrong; WomenCertified’s America’s Best Hospitals Women’s Choice Award in obstetrics; and the Studer Group Fire Starter Healthcare Organization of the Month among other national, regional and state recognitions.
About CHI
Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit, faith-based health system formed in 1996 through the consolidation of four Catholic health systems, expresses its mission each day by creating and nurturing healthy communities in the hundreds of sites across the nation where we provide care. The nation’s third-largest nonprofit health system, Englewood, Colorado-based CHI operates in 18 states and comprises 103 hospitals, including four academic health centers and major teaching hospitals as well as 30 critical-access facilities; community health-services organizations; accredited nursing colleges; home-health agencies; living communities; and other facilities and services that span the inpatient and outpatient continuum of care. In fiscal year 2015, CHI provided almost $970 million in charity care and community benefit – an 8% increase over the previous year — for programs and services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. Charity care and community benefit totaled more than $1.6 billion with the inclusion of the unpaid costs of Medicare. The health system, which generated operating revenues of $15.2 billion in fiscal year 2015, has total assets of approximately $23 billion. Learn more at www.catholichealthinitiatives.org.
Contact: Sonja Day
Communication/Marketing Manager
CHI St. Joseph’s Health
600 Pleasant Avenue
Park Rapids, MN 56470
218.616.3383
