JDCH administrator meets with the JDC Board of Supervisors regarding COVID-19

Published 4:35 pm Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Friday the Centers for Disease Control, along with the Mississippi State Department of Health, recommended all Americans should be masked when out in public and all healthcare leaders and employees should be masked throughout the workday.

“It’s not about being masked to protect yourself, it’s about being masked to protect others,” said Jefferson Davis Community Hospital Administrator Alania Cedillo.

“There are a lot of asymptomatic individuals walking around healthy, but projecting the virus.”

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Cedillo met with the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors at its bi-montly meeting Monday morning to address coronavirus concerns and update them on testing protocol.

“At the hospital, we haven’t seen a large influx. We have a triage process that actually identifies poeple at the entrance, who might be contagious and presenting with COVID-19.”

According to Cedillo, JDCH has an adequate supply of personal protective equipment at the moment.

“The changes we are making today with everyone wearing a mask is going to impact the utilization we have. Our needs may change over time, but our supply channels do seem to be confident that we can continue to get materials.”

“We are going to try our hardest to admit persons suspected of COVID-19 to other hospitals.”

“We are giong to try to keep JDCH as COVID-19 free as possible because of its proximity to the nursing home. We really want to make sure we are protecting those residents.”

COVID-19 testing supplies are in national and international shortage.

“We are being very judicious with who we test. It doesn’t mean the virus is not in the county, it just means no one that has been tested has had a positive result yet.”

JDCH has administered four tests to date. All four have come back negative.

The reporting of positive cases within each county is based upon the patient’s address provided at testing, regardless of where they are tested.

“All labs have been mandated to ensure a loop back to the MSHD  where different negatives and positives are coming from.”

“And we are required after the fact to loop back around the State and tell them as well, so there there are several checks and balances in place to assure the reporting structure is appropriate.”

Each JDCH employee is having their temperature taken before they can begin their shift.

“We are all in this together. This virus leaves no one out.”