This following letter, posted on Tuesday afternoon on the Brownwood Regional Medical Center Facebook page, was authored by Hendrick Health and signed by clinical and business leaders in our community calling on other leaders for social accountability.
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November 24, 2020
Calling all community members:
Brownwood is at a critical juncture, because what you do today affects what happens to our community and to our economy in two to four weeks. Hendrick has no open ICU beds in Brownwood or Abilene; there is no additional capacity. Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood evaluates “elective procedures” daily, to preserve capacity for other critically ill patients. The unthinkable has happened, and we are on the trajectory to reach the level that will trigger a shutdown of our economy by the State within the next two weeks.
We are experiencing an exponential rise of COVID-19 cases in our community, which unfortunately means we’ll suffer more deaths of our friends, family and neighbors. Experience has shown that half of COVID-19 patients who are placed on a ventilator will die.
Today, 17 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in Brownwood and 107 in Abilene (total 124). When 145 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, it will trigger the State to roll back business occupancy levels, therefore crippling our economy. And, at the current rate of spread in our community, we’ll reach 145 hospitalized patients within 10 days, if we, as a community, do not take concrete action now.
To protect what we hold most dear—our children, our places of worship, our businesses—every one of you must do your part.
• Enforce the mask mandate.
– Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when inside, and outdoors when you cannot maintain six feet of social distance.
– Businesses: require that all employees and all patrons wear masks.
• Wash hands.
– Wash hands often for 20 seconds with soap and water and encourage others to do the same.
– Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are unavailable.
• Cancel ALL non-essential events.
– Holiday parties, celebrations and events
– Indoor and outdoor sporting events where spectators cannot maintain social distancing
– Concession stands
-Indoor activities, especially those with singing including concerts, if masks are not mandatory.
• Go virtual.
– Use technology to your advantage and go virtual for events and gatherings.
You have an important role to play. Be socially accountable.
With the holidays approaching, we need you to be socially accountable for your actions. What you do today affects our community two weeks from now. Think of this holiday season as a season of sacrifice. Cancel all non-essential events. We cannot wait until after Thanksgiving to react to the climbing numbers in our community. Your actions can help us get to 2021 safely. Then, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine that has proven efficacy. Hendrick is already registered as a vaccination provider and is making plans to lead the vaccination process for our community.
Now is the time for community members to say what you WILL do. The hospital is not the frontline; YOU are the frontline. Help us #SaveALifeSaveOurEconomy.
Signed,
Krista Baty,
CNO/CNO, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Brett Emmett,
COO, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Erich Wallschlaeger
CFO, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Narendra Nigalye, MD
Chief of Staff, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Rob Wiley, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Hendrick Health
Larry Smith
Chair, Hendrick Health Board of Trustees
Roy Byrd, MD
Vice Chief of Staff, Cardiopulmonary Director
Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Amber Ervin, DO
Chief of Medicine, ICU Medical Director
Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Deanna Belli, MD
Pathology, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Paul Waldrop, JR
Member, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood Board of Trustees
Jennifer Jones, RN, CIC
Infection Prevention, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Stephen Haynes
Mayor, Brownwood
Greg Dodds
President and CEO, Texas Bank
Cory Hines
President, Howard Payne University
Henry McGowen, MD
Chairman, Brown County Hospital Authority Board
Lexie Feist, RN
ED Director
Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood
Keith Clark
Treasurer, Brown County Hospital Authority Board
David Morales
Hospitalist, Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood