by: John Young
John Young, President and CEO, Columbus Regional Healthcare System
As our community continues to see the number of COVID-19 cases increase, I want to take this time to reassure you. Columbus Regional Healthcare System is here for you, as you are here for us. The safety and wellbeing of our community and CRHS family is our top priority. We are in this together!
While COVID-19 is a rapidly changing pandemic, our team meets every day to discuss and adapt our response. We are in daily contact with other leading regional, state, and national healthcare systems and we are following NCDHSS and CDC guidelines. By taking these daily steps, we are able to ensure that we are ready to care for all of our patients when they need us the most.
At Columbus Regional, we have expanded our ability to see patients in the hospital by more than 40 percent. We have placed a tent outside of the emergency department for patient overflow, in the unfortunate event that we need it. We have worked hard to ensure our teammates and providers have the personal protective equipment, or PPE, to protect themselves and our patients. We are screening anyone who comes to one of our facilities for COVID-like symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, before entering. And we have made the difficult decision to limit patient visitors. These all help us limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep each other safe.
While these are scary and uncertain times, we have seen our community pull together to support one another, just as we did with the devastating hurricanes. The encouragement the community has shown our frontline workers has been humbling. Our team has been fed countless meals, groups have sewn masks and gowns, we have been given hand sanitizers, gloves, masks, and many other critical PPE materials. The kindest cards and messages have been delivered, and we had a first responder parade with 36 EMS, fire, and law enforcement vehicles drive by with lights and sirens. Not one of these amazing gifts has been small. Each and every gesture helps encourage our teammates and shows them that they are not in this fight alone.
We will get through this crisis by each of us doing our part. Please stay home, wear a mask if you have to go out, wash your hands often, and continue showing your support for each other however you can. Columbus Regional will continue to be here for you, fulfilling our mission to provide compassionate care, advance healing, and inspire hope for our patients and their loved ones.
While you have shown constant support for us, rest assured, we are doing everything possible to keep you safe and healthy. Thank you to our Columbus Regional family for your endless dedication and passion. Thank you to our community for showing us so much love and encouragement through this pandemic. And thank you for choosing Columbus Regional and allowing us to care for you.
Columbus Regional has been at the forefront of healthcare for our community for 85 years, and together we have weathered many storms. Our Columbus Regional family, physicians, and community are in this together, and together we will overcome COVID-19.
