A Letter To The Community From Mesa View Hospital CEO

By KELLY ADAMS

CEO, Mesa View Regional Hospital

Although COVID-19 will be around for the foreseeable future, Mesa View Regional Hospital remains confident in Nevada’s rising vaccination rates, sufficient supplies, committed staff, and members of the medical staff who continue to demonstrate a tireless resiliency for our community.

In recent weeks, we have also seen other respiratory illnesses increase, like RSV and the flu. With the arrival of fall and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is of utmost importance for you to take steps now to stay healthy.

A personal choice with immeasurable impacts.
The COVID-19 Delta variant is highly contagious and is impacting all ages in our community, including children. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as of September 16, over 5.5 million children tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 925,000 cases in the past 4 weeks.

Nationally, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients are straining hospitals, while simultaneously facing critical staffing shortages as non-virus-related emergencies like heart attacks, strokes, and other emergencies continue.

We need to release the pressure valve, and the good news is we know what to do. The last 18 months have given us knowledge and resources, and now we have access to a safe and effective vaccine proven to reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. The highly contagious virus has forever changed the lives of so many families here in our community. It’s painful to watch many still suffer the devastating effects of this virus. The best tool we have is against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

People choose to get vaccinated for their own reasons. For me, I got vaccinated to protect my family and my coworkers. I will continue to advocate that everyone eligible for the vaccine should take the opportunity to protect your health and those around you.

Coming to the hospital is safe.
We are taking every precaution and following stringent protocols to keep patients and employees safe. Following CDC guidelines and the Nevada Department of Health, we are committed to providing an environment where you can get the care you need and feel safe at the same time. Masks continue to be required by everyone in our facilities, and we monitor the temperatures and symptoms of all visitors and our teams daily.

We are here for you.
We remain open for all patient care and services, including inpatient and outpatient surgery, imaging, and laboratory procedures. COVID-19 patients are in a separate emergency room area to maintain separation between COVID-positive and non-COVID patients.

Stay healthy.
When you are out in the community interacting with individuals or in large crowds, remember to maintain a safe distance, wear a mask, and frequently wash your hands. These measures will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory illnesses like, RSV, which significantly impacts children under five-years-old and the elderly.

Thank you for your ongoing support and for doing your part to keep your neighbors and loved ones safe and healthy.