Category: Uncategorized

According to Executive Order GA-32, there has been a restriction issued for trauma service L, which includes Coryell County, stating elective surgeries must be canceled. However, there is a stipulation in that order that states we do not have to cancel elective surgeries if we have available beds and adequate supplies. The news did not mention this detail, so we thought it was pertinent to inform our community of the guidelines allowing us to continue surgeries. At this time, we have beds and adequate supplies so we are not canceling elective surgeries. Coryell Health Medical Surgical Executive Council met and determined individual the surgeons may determine what cases are booked at this time. The surgical schedule is being evaluated daily to determine if changes are needed, with consideration of bed availability and supply lines. If you have questions about an upcoming surgery, please contact your surgeon’s office.

COVID-19 has made traveling far more complicated, especially with mask-wearing and social distancing. Plus, getting tested at an urgent care facility or another medical provider is required by many states. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a vacation or make an essential work trip safely. Following best practices can prevent infection and keep you healthy.

How to Travel Safely During COVID-19

1. Check Local Requirements

Many states, cities, and municipalities have specific rules, requirements, and restrictions around COVID-19. Look them up before booking and again prior to leaving. They’re constantly being updated and changed based on positivity rates and other factors. For example, some states require you to show a negative COVID-19 test or prove that you’ve been in quarantine.

2. Travel by Car

Taking an automobile is the safest way to travel, as you can easily social distance. However, make sure to check for road closures and confirm your hotel reservations. If you need to take an airplane, air circulation can lower the risks. Still, try to book a non-stop flight, wash your hands regularly, social distance, and wear your mask diligently, making sure to cover your mouth and nose.

3. Pack the Right Supplies

In addition to your regular packing list, bring along pandemic-essential items. For example, take hand sanitizers, a thermometer, wipes, and extra masks. These products will be essential for keeping your hands clean, following local regulations, and checking for a temperature if you suspect that you’re sick.

4. Limit Indoor Time

Rather than eating in a restaurant, enjoy your meal outdoors or inside your car. In fact, it’s best to take along your own food and water. Also, stick with activities that can be enjoyed outside, such as hiking, fishing, swimming, sight-seeing in a car, or kayaking. If you rent any equipment, make sure to sanitize it before using it.

If you need COVID-19 testing or treatment, contact Coryell Health. We’re based in Gatesville and serve residents of Coryell County and Central Texas. Our health care organization has been working with patients and providing urgent care since 1942. We offer access to a wide array of services, from virtual medical appointments to COVID-19 care. Call (254) 865-8251 to set up an appointment with one of our providers, or visit our website to learn more about our urgent care options.

In Central Texas, the volume of COVID-19 tests continues to increase across various care settings, including hospitals, labs, and drive-through testing sites.

Quick communication of test results will be critical to minimizing the risk of community spread and assisting nationwide efforts to “flatten the curve”. Coryell Health has implemented automation text messaging of negative test results. Quick and efficient communication also has an immediate impact on the ability of clinical staff to provide direct patient care, as it frees them up from making calls to deliver negative test results so that they can attend to in-person patients’ needs or follow up with ill patients.

So while testing ramps up, new ways to quickly communicate these results along with crucial next step actions will be essential.

According to Coryell Health Chief Nursing Officer, Heather Rambeau, MSN, RN:

“Our entire healthcare system has felt the impact of COVID-19 on our staff. We need an efficient and scalable way to keep resources focused on where they’re most needed – patient care. As the number of patients in need of inpatient care and drive thru testing surges, our resources can be further strained. Reducing dependence on clinical staff to manually call patients with COVID-19 test results will be an essential strategy to avoid delays in communicating results that could negatively impact follow-up care.”

The clinic has been experiencing the highest call volume and many of those calls are for return to work/school releases. “We want to make sure our medical team has the resources to reach the patients who are in need, while simultaneously educating those that are not.  It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of patients when they are under our care and importantly, to equip them with the resources and knowledge they need for a healthy recovery.”

For patients who test positive:

Patient will be contacted by a Coryell Health nurse to discuss symptoms, contact tracing, Telemedicine alternatives and further instructions.

For patients who test negative:

These patients will receive a secure text with their results, directions based on exposure scenarios, and the option to receive a document via text, sent to them for return to work or school.

Resources

Coryell Health Medical Clinic/ Quick Care Walk-In Clinic/ Telehealth (254) 865-2166

Coryell Health COVID-19 Website https://coryellhealth.org/covid

Staying healthy during the pandemic is important. This unprecedented time of social distancing has disrupted the daily routine of many, transforming approaches to medical care, including arthritis management. Coupled with maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, pain management is important to reduce joint stress and the toll arthritis takes on the body physically and mentally. While the circumstances vary between people, arthritis is a disease that causes painful joint inflammation. Because it affects more than 54 million American adults, every person should recognize this chronic condition. To help shed light on the subject, below are several frequently asked questions that patients have.

A Guide to Arthritis

Are all cases the same?

No. There are more than 100 types of arthritis. The most common form, known as osteoarthritis, happens due to the gradual wear of joint cartilage and bone. Another prevalent type, known as rheumatoid arthritis, occurs because of an autoimmune response that inflames a joint’s lining and eventually spreads to the cartilage and bone.

What are the common signs?

Symptoms can vary depending on the type that you have. Inflammation can also affect numerous joints throughout the body, causing symptoms that are chronic or sporadic.

However, in most cases, individuals affected by the condition will experience joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Joints may also appear visibly swollen, turn red, or feel warm to the touch.

Who is at risk?

Any person can develop arthritis, and the exact causes behind the condition are not fully known. However, you may develop the disease if you have a family history of the condition, or are obese, getting older, or a woman. Individuals who endure traumatic injuries may also sustain joint damage that could contribute.

What can help prevent it?

Although you cannot change risk factors like genetics and age, there are a few others that you can address to minimize your risk. Specifically, staying active and eating healthy is critical, as these habits promote better joint health and mobility. The American Heart Association also provides a Six-Week Beginner Walking Plan that can be easily implemented inside your home to accommodate shifts in your physical activity routine.

How can you manage it?

If you have arthritis, your healthcare provider will develop a custom care plan to minimize the likelihood of flare-ups. In mild cases, doctors may prescribe regular exercise to promote weight loss or the avoidance of inflammatory foods—such as processed meats and refined carbohydrates. In severe instances, you may need to see a specialist. Your primary care provider may recommend a pain management specialist or an orthopedic surgeon. They may advise prescription medications to minimize inflammation, physical rehabilitation to promote mobility, or surgery to repair joints. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether your vaccinations and other preventive services are up to date to help prevent you from becoming ill with other diseases.

While living with arthritis presents unique challenges, you can improve your joint health by working with our staff to diagnose your specific condition and develop effective treatment plans for pain management and improved mobility. Coryell Health has multiple clinic locations to serve you, with clinics in Gatesville, Goldthwaite, Waco, and Moody, TX.  To learn more about our services, visit us online. For appointments, call (254) 865-2166.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, podiatrists have seen some of the sickest patients of their careers—but these patients are not suffering from COVID. Instead, concerned about exposure to the virus, these patients have avoided regular appointments for preventive care or injuries, and as a result, they have severe diabetic foot wounds, infections, and in some cases even gangrene. Podiatrists are performing more amputations and often treating patients at risk of sepsis, a life-threatening systemic infection. Raising awareness of this impact of avoiding care is a goal across the nation during National Diabetes Month. Coryell Health Advanced Wound & Podiatry Center works to raise awareness, educate, and help individuals find resources during Diabetes Month.

Patients with diabetes are at high risk from COVID-19 and should take precautions such as wearing a mask, limiting opportunities for exposure, and maintaining social distance. But APMA member podiatrists strongly encourage all patients, and especially those with diabetes, to keep up with their medical appointments.

Medical facilities are following strict protocols to protect health-care providers and patients, including requiring masks and social distance in waiting rooms and implementing disinfection procedures between patients. If you are concerned, ask your podiatrist’s office about how they will keep you safe and about the possibility of telehealth appointments.

Here are more steps to maintain control over your diabetes during the pandemic:

• Stay Active. Get proper nutrition and exercise. Consider physical activity a prescription to be taken daily!
• Stay Alert. Track your daily blood sugar levels and your A1C. Perform daily foot exams (a caregiver or family member can help) to look for any changes to your feet, including color, temperature, and even minor injuries such as scratches and scrapes. Protect your feet with shoes even around the house to avoid injuries.
• Stay in Contact. Keep up with all appointments with your diabetes care team and reach out to your podiatrist immediately if you notice a wound, injury, or other changes to your feet.

Regular care to maintain your foot health and overall health is essential, particularly in light of the pandemic. Don’t neglect your regular care out of fear of COVID-19. Keep your appointment, and keep your feet! If you have any concerns about your feet, please call our Podiatry and Wound Center at (254) 248-6204.

#DiabetesAwarenessMonth #Diabetes #CoryellHealth

Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work- we know this!  National Rural Health Day brings to light the beautiful and challenging landscape, requiring unique approaches to healthcare. National Rural Health Day celebrates the providers, healthcare professionals, essential workers and community leaders who keep the spirit of small-town America alive in the best way possible.

Thank you for all you do to keep your rural community healthy and strong! #CentralTexasStrong #PowerofRural #TeamCoryellHealth #NRHD

Coryell Health is excited to announce the opening of a new clinic in downtown Moody, TX.  The clinic, located at 404 Ave E, is the 4th location owned and operated by Coryell Health, a non-profit community health organization committed to quality rural health care.  This marks the continued growth and commitment to improving access to extraordinary patient care.

“The opening of the all new Moody clinic is a great milestone for the community and Coryell Health,” said David Byrom, CEO. “Our primary goal has been to provide each and every patient with the highest level of quality care, and to make that excellent care available to all the communities we serve. This clinic allows us to provide further patient access to communities in rural Texas and we’re grateful for the opportunity, and the outpouring of community support for Dr. Liebing and our clinic team.”

“I am thrilled to be part of the team providing primary and specialty care in Moody. We have family medicine available five days a week as well as visiting Orthopedics, Ortho Spine, Pain Management and Podiatry,” said Dr. Steve Liebing, MD, Family Medicine, Coryell Health Medical Director- Moody. “I look forward to gaining the trust of patients in Moody and keeping them healthy and active for years to come.”

To learn more about Coryell Health services, please call (254) 865-2166 or visit coryellhealth.org/.
Patients can call the Moody location directly for appointments at (254) 853-9603.

Roger Miller, Coryell County Judge, appointed and swore in Dr. Diedra Wuenschel, Coryell Health Medical Clinic Director, as Coryell County Health Authority Friday.

“It is a privilege to serve Coryell County,” Wuenschel said. “As a doctor and a member of the community, I personally have a vested interest, with a firsthand view of the happenings in the community, including the hospital, clinics, local retail locations, as well as I have children in the school system. I am available to work with the County to help ensure we are living in a safe community.”

“A County Health Authority is a physician, appointed by the Commissioners Court for a two-year term, who administers state and local laws relating to public health within a local government’s jurisdiction,” explained Miller. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has collaborated with our local health system’s leadership, as well as with the local school system in an effort to protect, educate, identify cases of coronavirus in our area, and ensure we have the plans and resources the community needs as the current COVID-19 pandemic continues to progress.”

Dr. Diedra Wuenschel, board certified family practice physician, joined the Coryell Health in 2011. Dr. Wuenschel is the Coryell Health Medical Director for RehabLiving, the Medical Director of the Coryell Health Medical Clinic of Gatesville and Mills County, as well as elected Chief of Staff.

VIDEO: Dr. Wuenschel discusses how the medical field has changed to adapt to COVID-19 , including car visits, employee, patient, and nursing home resident testing, and collaboration with County and local school leadership, and more:

 

Dr. Wuenschel was drawn to rural medicine so families didn’t have to travel far for medical care. “When you treat patients in small communities you get to know them and their families, often caring for multiple generations,” said Dr. Wuenschel. “You can make a difference to not only individual patients, but to the community as a whole. There is a continuity of care and a kind of gratification that’s very hard to find in any other kind of practice.”

When she is not treating patients in Gatesville and Mills County clinic locations, Dr. Wuenschel enjoys singing, helping at the family owned restaurant, and spending time with her husband and children on their farm.

Health Authorities (HA) serve as a critical part of the state’s public health system. Health and Safety Code establishes and defines a Health Authority in Texas as a physician appointed under the provisions of Chapter 121, to administer state and local laws relating to public health within an appointing body’s jurisdiction. Health Authorities are considered an officer of the state when performing duties to implement and enforce laws that protect the public’s health.

https://dshs.state.tx.us/rls/lha/Department-of-State-Health-Services-Appointed-Health-Authority.aspx

It’s National Diabetes Awareness Month. Did you know that having diabetes can put some people at greater risk for developing foot problems? Managed improperly, diabetes can cause nerve damage, skin issues, blood flow problems and more. Dr. Gary Cramer, DPM, a board-certified podiatric surgeon and wound care specialist, can create a customize care plan and advise you on good foot care practices to keep your feet healthy if you’re living with diabetes. #DiabetesAwarenessMonth #diabetes #CoryellHealth

National First Responders Day in October recognizes the heroic men and women who run towards danger and take immediate action when disaster strikes. Over the years, Coryell Health has seen first-hand the men and women who act quickly when an emergency is at hand. Our paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers, police, firefighters, doctors, and nurses always deserve our gratitude and respect, but there are also many other unsung heroes working behind the scenes- answering calls, cleaning, making repairs- all vital in keeping us safe and healthy. We are grateful to you all and we support you, today and every day. #ThankYouFirstResponder #CentralTexasStrong

Say Boo to the Flu! Drive Thru Flu Shot Clinic
Coryell Health Medical Clinic, Bldg 1
Saturday, October 31, 2020 ǀ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Our staff will be in costume- ready to get you in and out quickly- with a little fun & treats to go!
Bring insurance card, ID and list of medications and/or allergies.
https://fb.me/e/1Eq32wKFz