ER Medicine is an adrenaline rush according to Dr. Paul Baker an Emergency Physician at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. On this new episode of Housecall with Dr. David Doman he finds out that Montgomery County’s poor and undocumented don’t have access to public healthcare. They don’t have a primary care doctor or health insurance, so they go to Holy Cross Hospital because they feel it is socially safe. It has improved since the Affordable Care Act aka ObamaCare, but they continue to use the hospital as a primary care doctor. Dr. Baker sees all kinds of cases since Montgomery County is so diverse and people from all over the world are here. He’s had cases like Malaria, Yellow Fever, and some amazing parasites, if you like that sort of thing.
Holy Cross Hospital has made a more permanent building next the the hospital for Covid-19 patients or people with certain symptoms, in order to keep them separated. They are fortunate that the county gave them a big Triage Tent to use, which helped them be able to build the semi permanent building.
The people with serious complaints has dropped because no one is coming to the hospital when they are sick. They are dangerously taking their chances and staying home. Don’t be afraid to go to the hospital. Wear your mask and don’t touch your face, and you’ll be safe. The hospital has a system in place to keep COVID patients separate from the other hospital population. They go in an individual room immediately, so they aren’t in a separate waiting area. Plus, the staff are well equipped with plenty of PPE and face shields.
They have evolved over the months with Covid-19. They have Communication Teams that update the families as the get to know the patient one on one because remember visitors aren’t allowed and patients have to say Goodbye on video chat instead of embracing their loved one. They also converted a non functioning ICU into a working one adding 50% capacity.
For more information visit holycrosshealth.org
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