“…We will be increasing security staff at the hospital’s front entrance to help manage what we see as an unfortunate increase in people who don’t want to follow the rules…”

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Today, in Sedalia, Missouri:

Bothwell Regional Health Center

This is an urgent plea from our hospital medical staff to our community. If you don’t have time to read it, please at least read the bulleted TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) version:

• Visitors are not allowed for hospitalized patients who are Covid positive or who are awaiting test results.
• Don’t visit patients in the hospital if you don’t have to and definitely stay home if you are ill.
• When you’re in the hospital or any Bothwell clinic, masks are required to be worn.
• Consider vaccination. Seriously.

Real talk? Covid is not gone as we all wish it was. The number of people in our hospital is increasing daily; today there are 10 with several on ventilators. And because the current virus variant symptoms are different (runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea and brain fog) from the original, many people don’t believe they are ill with it and are subsequently spreading illness in our community. Yesterday, the Pettis County Health Center reported there has been a 175% increase in cases in the past seven days.

As we are again testing all admitted patients, no Covid positive patient or a patient waiting for test results may have any visitors. We do make exceptions for end-of-life, special circumstances and patients who are children. It’s not safe for anyone but medical personnel wearing gowns, masks and goggles to be in these patients’ rooms. The good news is that we have an efficient testing system and the wait for results is relatively short.
If possible, decrease the number of visits to patients in the hospital and do not visit if you have any of the above symptoms no matter how mild or insignificant you think they might be. If you must visit, masks are still required. We will be increasing security staff at the hospital’s front entrance to help manage what we see as an unfortunate increase in people who don’t want to follow the rules.

Also on the good news front, we have seen an uptick in demand for the Covid vaccine. As a result, we have added clinic dates to the schedule. Find all vaccine information at http://www.brhc.org/vaccine. If you can’t get to our daytime events, Katy Trail Community Health offers vaccines from 3-6 pm each Tuesday and Friday at the Sedalia Area Farmers’ Market on the Missouri State Fairgrounds as well as on Saturdays at 821 Westwood in Sedalia. You may also visit http://www.vaccines.gov, text your zip code to 438829 or call 800.232.0233 to find your nearest vaccine location if these opportunities don’t work with your schedule.

Thanks for reading this far. We simply must protect our patients and our employees so they can be here to protect them, and you should you need hospital care.

Sedalia, Missouri in August 2020:

‘Resist the Mandatory Mask.’ Missouri town’s fight over COVID mandate lands in court (August 19, 2020)

And here we are.

Get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so.

Wear a damn mask.