Ennis Regional responds to Covid questions

Cordial and unflappable while the fears and questions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic swirl in North Texas, Bob Honeycutt, CEO at Ennis Regional Medical Center sat outside at Minnie McDowal Park and fielded queries. He arrived, however, wearing a face mask before sitting on a park bench to talk. Yes, socially distant.

Carefully cautious, he believes that “the Stay Safe and Stay Home state and local proclamations had a positive effect on bending the curve in a favorable manner. However, he was uncertain as to when we would get back to normalcy around town.”

“You know how much I enjoy sports,” he said. “Taking in a game in person is a great past-time, and I look forward to that again,” said the man who has been a regular at Ennis games during his 2.5 years here. Football, basketball, volleyball and baseball seasons would find him in the stands cheering on the Lions. He took a moment to mention one that he most admires, Roynal Bridgefort, the Lions basketball head coach. “He really does a great job getting the guys to play together,” he said. “He knows what he’s doing.

As for when the coronavirus is controlled enough for games to begin again, he wasn’t sure.

Like someone tap dancing to avoid bullets at their boots, he proceeded to answer a chamber full of hot questions, all with the calm demeanor of Neo in the Matrix.

Do the number of positive test results in Ennis add up?

“Yes, they do,” he said. “Testing can take place at the hospital, private physician offices or urgent care centers depending on where the individual opts to go for care.”

Are there enough test kits in the area?

“Yes,” he said, “and we’re well-prepared at Ennis Regional.”

He went on to say that a test isn’t administered unless a person answers a few qualifying questions, like: Are you symptomatic? Do you have any of these symptoms: fever, cough with shortness of breath or a sore throat, or have flu-like symptoms. Have you traveled internationally or to a restricted area such as New York, Los Angeles or Louisiana within the 14 days? Have you been exposed to anyone that has been positively confirmed to have Covid-19?

What about the test?

“All of the collected swabs are sent to a certified lab. Inserted through the nose to the back of the nasal cavity, it may look painful, though when done properly, it is not. It may be uncomfortable but the procedure is quick and is done to collect viral specimens. A person can still breathe and even talk while the NP swap is being collected,” he answered.

Honeycutt said the diagnostic method is done under the CDC and TDHS guidelines with ERMC kit specimens sent directly to Texas State Health Department labs.

How about padding the numbers by including “presumed positive” results?

“In general a person isn’t considered presumed positive unless they are symptomatic or have met other qualifiers, from a safety standpoint for the patient and others” he said, “and those numbers are kept separate from those who have actually tested positive.” He pointed out the results can take a few days or a week unless the site of the test has analytic equipment.

“We at Ennis Regional are fully capable of handling anyone who is concerned,” he continued. ERMC is also open 24-7. Anyone coming to the hospital with Covid concerns are directed to enter through the outdoor Emergency Department entry, which is to the left of the main entry.

Hot button or conspiracy questions, like the origins of the coronavirus, whether it was manufactured in a lab or derived from the consumption of bats was a debate for another day.

Lessons learned that bear keeping

Asked what he has learned through this ordeal that the general public could learn as well, he first admitted he “didn’t see how anything could effect the economy so quickly before this virus.”

Honeycutt did supply a few positives that can come out of this pandemic.

“Realize the impact of hand hygiene, and how it is a contributor,” he said. “It should become something that we follow routinely, everywhere we go. We should be cognizant of how easily we pick-up or spread with our hands.”

He stated the “shutdown has made the value and utilization of TeleHealth more mainstream. People should be able to access a doctor with their concerns via Face Time or Zoom,” and tacked on that patient information security and protection should be a high concern.

The sensible Honeycutt did say that social distancing and masking should be practiced in general as a precautionary measure.

He suggested the following website, which carries information on the virus: https://dshs.texas. gov/coronavirus/public.aspx