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"The safety of our patients, Associates and physicians is most important to us,” said Paul Trevino. President & CEO, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System.
CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System announced April 21 that it was preparing to resume elective procedures and surgeries on April 22, consistent with the provisions of the Governor Greg Abbott’s original order on April 17.
Our CHRISTUS Southeast Texas facilities have secured the personal protective equipment (PPE) and excess capacity necessary to safely care for the full spectrum of medical conditions and patient needs that we have worked so hard to address in our communities for more than 90 years.
We are working with physicians now to reschedule their patients for medical and surgical procedures they were forced to postpone due to the initial order. While we all understand the reason these procedures had to be postponed, waiting has imposed a hardship on many of these patients, as many can no longer delay care for heart disease, cancer, pain, vision problems and other conditions. We are working to avoid a surge in illness and suffering as a result of deferred and delayed care.
CHRISTUS Southeast Texas is prepared to begin surgeries and procedures at our Beaumont Bone and Joint, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Jasper Memorial hospital and CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Outpatient Pavilion – St. Elizabeth facilities.
“The procedures that we have delayed often affect a patient’s quality of life,” said Paul Trevino, President & CEO, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System. “In some cases, the procedure could impact how long a person lives. So, it is important that we allow these surgeries to move forward, when medically necessary, as quickly as we can. But, as always the safety of our patients, Associates and physicians is most important to us,” said Trevino.
CHRISTUS Southeast Texas practices infection prevention every day. In addition, the system recently announced that it is leading the Southeast Texas community, and the country, by offering antibody testing for some patients, Associates and physicians. This new screening tool allows the hospital to test these groups for antibodies related to the COVID-19 virus, helping it to identify how each patient should receive care and how to keep its caregivers safe.
“CHRISTUS is committed to re-instituting elective surgical and procedural cases under a COVID-19 Safe Care Program, where we making every effort to provide a safe environment for the health and safety of our patients, Associates, and physicians. As part of this program, our surgical staff are being screened and tested appropriately for COVID, and have been cleared to safely work in the surgical setting, giving our patients confidence in choosing CHRISTUS for their care,” said Waqar Ahmad, MD and Vice President of Medical Affairs.
Not only that, but CHRISTUS Southeast Texas has been planning over the last several weeks to ready to continue to provide necessary, non-COVID care to keep people safe and healthy. To keep all who enter our facilities safe, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas continues to have these following precautions in place:
Limiting visitors;
Screening everyone who comes through our doors;
Isolating COVID-19 patients to one area of the facility;
Temperature checks for Associates;
Requiring everyone on our campuses to wear masks;
Using telemedicine to treat active COVID-19 patients, so their caregivers and support staff limit the number of times they enter their rooms.
This may be an unprecedented time, but we have experienced many of these since CHRISTUS was founded 154 years ago. In fact, the first three Sisters who started the CHRISTUS ministry in Galveston faced an epidemic of Yellow Fever within the first six months of opening the very first hospital. Epidemics and tragedies have been part of CHRISTUS’ history, and so too has the resolve, after each of those challenges, to move on in love and service to those in need.
“CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System is answering the call to help our community – today and tomorrow. In all that we do, we are devoted to keeping patients, their families, our caregivers and our Associates safe. And we are here when you need care. We are ready,” Trevino said.