Category: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.

Stokes: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save lives. Part 5

Continuing our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, we asked Amanda Smith, Member Engagement Specialist for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, about COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the Stokes Wellness Center.

  1. What are you and/or your agency doing here in Stokes County to support our residents during COVID-19?
  2. Why is it important that our community practice self-care, for mental and physical well-being? 
  3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?

“We recognize that the effects of COVID- 19 are far reaching beyond just our physical health. The fear of contracting the virus, adapting to new routines, isolation and difficulties obtaining necessities can have profound effects on our emotional health. Supporting our members and our communities in maintaining their health and wellness is always our top priority.”

“In efforts to support the Stokes Community we have worked collaboratively with community partners such as Insight Human Services, the Stokes County Cooperative Extension, local artist Dianna Altrath and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Diana Bryant to provide ‘Virtual Wellness Programming’.”

Each day community members can access free programming that will range from line dancing, stress management education, arts and crafts and more by viewing our Cardinal Innovations FACEBOOK PAGE, TWITTER ACCOUNT or our blog.

“I have had the pleasure of working with these agencies and individuals on a regular basis in the community at our Cardinal Innovations Wellness Center in Walnut Cove before COVID-19 and am excited to have a new platform for them to share their knowledge, talents and abilities to those who may need it.”

“As an organization we are also sending out ‘Virtual Wellness Kits’ to community members that includes entertainment links, tips to talking with your child about COVID-19 and how to access community resources to address needs such as food insecurities. I am proud to say that we have also started the COVID-19 Relief Fund which is a grant that will fund the efforts of non-profits who are supporting those affected by COVID-19.”

As a Member Engagement Specialist, we are working closely with other departments within our organization, behavioral health providers and community members to ensure access to mental health, substance use and developmental disability services.

“We understand that navigating behavioral health resources can be difficult and COVID-19 has added complexity to this. We want our communities and the residents of Stokes County to know that we are committed to ensuring that you get connected to the behavioral health services that you need.”

“Now is more important than ever to connect people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis to the right help at the right time and place.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Access Line by dialing  **ASK and you will be connected with a licensed clinician.

This helps us to support our local community hospitals and keep our Emergency Rooms free for those who need them the most during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Please know that you are not alone and many people are struggling with adapting to all life changes large and small.

While COVID-19 has been a difficult experience for us as a whole, I am inspired by my colleagues, Stokes Community Partners and the Stokes Community at how far everyone will go to provide support to those in need. We truly are in this all together!”

Amanda Smith, a stokes county resident, member engagement specialist for cardinal innovations healthcare, stokes wellness center
OUR FIRST CONTRIBUTOR WAS DR. MICHELLE LINKOUS OF NOVANT HEALTH PEDIATRICS IN KING AND CAN BE FOUND HERE.
OUR SECOND CONTRIBUTOR WAS SHELLY GREENWOOD, MOTHER OF AN AT-RISK CHILD AND STOKES COUNTY RESIDENT AND CAN BE FOUND HERE.
OUR THIRD CONTRIBUTOR WAS DR. AMBER HAIRFORD FAMILY PHYSICIAN AND ASSOCIATE LEAD CLINICIAN OF MOUNTAINVIEW MEDICAL/PILOT MOUNTAIN MEDICAL CARE AND CAN BE FOUND HERE.
our fourth contributor was janna kiger, at-risk young adult and stokes county resident.
A COLLECTION OF OUR LOCAL PEOPLE, LOCAL STORIES, LOCAL IMPACT CAN BE FOUND ON OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH PAGE HERE.

Stokes: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives. Part 4

Our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, continues with Stokes County resident Janna Kiger. She is a young adult who is a part of the high-risk population for COVID-19 due to complications from Type A flu in 2019 that required open heart surgery.

  1. Why are you concerned about COVID-19 in Stokes County? 
  2. Why is it important to the at-risk population of Stokes County to take precautions regarding COVID-19? 
  3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?

‘In March of 2019 I ended up at  multiple hospitals including Duke University Hospital for 3 months because of Type A flu attacking my heart and lungs shutting down every organ in my body. I was put on complete life support. I am often asked if I had a flu shot prior to becoming sick and the answer is yes, every year. My doctors say that it helped me survive. That being said my past situation has really opened up my eyes to sickness and how quickly things can change, even among young healthy people.

During the last few weeks of COVID-19 being on the rise I have been on high alert and taking all the necessary precautions to help slow/stop the spread of this virus. I have avoided close contact with people, I have made sure I do proper hand washing and I have chose to quarantine myself.

Another reason why it is so important for myself and others to take these precautions so seriously is to help protect those who do have to work. My fiancé is a fireman and continues to work through this pandemic. I also have a brother who is a physical therapist, he is in contact with people daily.

I pray that his patients are honest with who they may have been in contact with, if they have any symptoms, and if they have been in quarantine. It is important that we think of each other during this.

My family has seen how devastating an acute sudden illness can be. I personally would not want to be the one responsible for causing someone else to contract such a terrible sickness.

I believe as a community we have really stepped up and worked together to help minimize the spread COVID – 19. Our community is small but we have rallied together once again and grown closer by helping one another in these times. It is uplifting to see so many people helping in so many ways.

I pray for healing and comfort for everyone. I pray for protection for the ones that are having to work. I pray that we can do our preventative part as a community and then let go of our fears and let The Lord handle this crisis.’

Janna Kiger, Stokes County resident and young adult who is high risk for COVID-19.

 

Our first contributor was Dr. Michelle Linkous of Novant Health Pediatrics in King and can be found here.
Our second contributor was Shelly Greenwood, mother of an at-risk child and Stokes County resident and can be found here.
Our third contributor was Dr. Amber Hairford Family Physician and Associate Lead Clinician of Mountainview Medical/Pilot Mountain Medical Care and can be found here.
A collection of our Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact can be found on our Community Outreach page here.

Stokes: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives. Part 3

In the latest installment of our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, we asked Dr. Amber Hairford, Family Physician and Associate Lead Clinician of Mountainview Medical/Pilot Mountain Medical Care, about the impact of COVID-19 she is experiencing.

  1. What are you and/or your agency doing here in Stokes County to address COVID-19? 
  2. Why is it important that our community take these measures? 
  3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?

“As a cornerstone of health in Stokes County, Novant Health Mountainview Medical has taken several steps to address COVID-19. We have canceled all “well patient” visits such as physicals and well child checks for now. We are also in contact with our routine scheduled visits to see if it is necessary for them to come in. We have opened up several virtual options for healthcare such as video visits, E-visits and telephonic visits and patients are strongly encouraged to use these options if possible.

if a patient calls with respiratory concerns, we are directing them to the Mountainvew Medical Extended Care clinic at 167 Moore Road in King.

We have a dedicated respiratory illness screening center here to keep sick patients in a centralized area.

The spread of the virus can happen in asymptomatic patients which has the potential to cause an exponential spread of the disease, as we have seen in the NC reported cases lately. It is important to stay home as much as possible and wash your hands to reduce transmission of illness.

Through all of this, those of us in the healthcare field have felt an overwhelming amount of concern from those around us. Our jobs expect us to be on the front lines of this pandemic, and that is where we choose to be. Whether it be helping with childcare, school assignments, prayer or just offering a happy text during the day, it is such an encouragement to feel the love and support from our community. I expect this will continue as the illness becomes more prevalent, and it is more appreciated than I could ever express.”

Amber Hairford, MD Family Physician and Associate Lead Clinician of Mountainview Medical/Pilot Mountain Medical Care

 

The first part of our series featured Dr. Michelle Linkous from Novant Health Pediatrics in King.
The second part of our series featured Shelly Greenwood, mother of an at-risk child and Stokes County resident. 
Both articles can be found under Community Outreach.

Stokes: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives. Part 2

In our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, we asked Shelly Greenwood, mother of an at-risk child, about COVID-19 and it’s direct impact on their family.

  1. What are you and your family doing in Stokes County to address COVID-19? 
  2. Why is it important that our community take these measures? 
  3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?

“Our daughter, Elizabeth, was born with several major heart defects. Therefore we live in a state of fear quite a bit of the time. She is more susceptible to illness and those illnesses such as the flu, pneumonia and even the common cold can land us at Duke University Hospital for weeks at a time. For our part of COVID-19 we are being very vocal about ways to help keep families like us, as well as healthy families, safe. We are using our social media as platforms to get the word out that we believe that social distancing will help keep the spread of this virus to smaller numbers.”

As for our family, we are staying home, practicing good  hand washing, removing shoes outside and other healthy practices.

“I believe that it is important that we take the safety measures that have been put into place in order to protect ourselves, our families and our community. So many of these practices are things that families with children with special needs or children that are medical compromised are doing daily.  Especially during the winter months.”

“I am in awe of the community spirit that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are once again checking on our neighbors, shopping for each other as needed, and being kind to one another as a whole. As hard and sad as this has been for our country and our little community, I feel as though this has also brought us closer.  Perhaps we remember some of those beautiful traits that our grandparents and great grandparents practiced on a daily basis.  It is my hope that we will continue to be kind and thoughtful of one another once this is all over and we go back to whatever our normal is.”

I understand that these times are hard, but for the safety of my daughter, my family and other families like mine, it is imperative that we follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC and the government.
Shelly Greenwood, a Stokes County resident and mother of an at-risk child

 

For the first part of this series, comments from Dr. Michelle Linkous, click here.

 

 

Stokes: Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.

In our series of Local People, Local Stories, Local Impact, we asked Dr. Michelle Linkous from Novant Health Pediatrics in King about COVID-19 and how it relates to Stokes County.

 

  1. What are you and/or your agency doing here in Stokes County to address COVID-19? 
  2. Why is it important that our community take these measures? 
  3. What is something positive you have seen in midst of chaos of COVID-19 as we navigate this together?

 

 

“Novant Health Pediatrics King has modified our clinic’s operation and schedules to reduce the risk of exposure to our patients and our staff.  We are seeing only healthy children for well checks from 0-6 months in clinic.  All other well visits and concerns are being addressed by video and telemedicine.  We no longer allow siblings to attend in office visits with patients and we are limiting all visits to one healthy adult with their child.

We are encouraging all families to stay home!  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot about the way we do “life” but it is important to listen to the authorities and follow their recommendations.

We know that a patient with COVID-19 is contagious days before they become symptomatic and 80% of children with COVID-19 are known to have mild symptoms.  Because of this, we urge and beg you to stay home to protect yourself and those that you love.  Leave your house for only ESSENTIAL trips and go ALONE.  Stay six feet away from other people at all times, do not touch your face and wash your hands immediately when you leave a store.  Avoid play dates, parks and all social gatherings.

Many people have seen information about “flattening the curve”.  All of the efforts to keep people at home have been done to accomplish just this.  If we can reduce the number of cases of COVID-19 and limit its transmission, we can keep people healthy and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths.  At this time, the only way to reduce transmission is by limiting individuals contact with one another so please stay home!

Instead of saying “we are stuck at home”, change your mentality! Start telling your children and your family/friends that you are “safe at home”.

Try to make the most out of the time you are spending with your kids!  Our routines have changed but life will be busy again soon enough. I think we all deserve time to slow down, relax and enjoy our families. My son and I are taking on a 2000 piece puzzle!  What new adventure could you start with your kids?”

Dr Michelle Linkous
Novant Health Pediatrics King is on Facebook.