Krista Postai, president and Cheif Executive Officer of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. Submitted photo.
The worldwide COVID 19 Pandemic has affected society in the last three months for all segments, especially health care.
“COVID certainly dominated our activities and thinking, for two solid months,and we’re just now getting back to thinking ahead,” CHS/SEK President and CEO Krista Postai said.
“We did commit to remaining in the (former Mercy) hospital once the county assumes responsibility,” she said. “We are planning some minor remodeling including enlarging the pharmacy and moving all of our diagnostics (including mammography) into the clinic space freeing up the former diagnostic space for Ascension/Via Christi.”
“We are starting to see more people in the clinic now as the state is ‘opening up’,” Postai said. “At one point about one-third of our visits were through televideo or on the telephone but we definitely find that folks in Ft. Scott prefer face-to-face visits. We’re not quite back to normal activity level but getting there.”
“In addition to testing for COVID, we are now offering the antibody testing with a doctor’s order,” Postai said. “This is used to see if you had the virus and have since developed antibodies that could help protect you for getting it again. Although the science is still out on that, as some people seem to be susceptible to having it a second time. So far everyone we have tested thus far have been negative.”
“We have added staff including mental health,” she said.
CHC/SEK welcomed Tien Nguyen, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to it’s Behavioral Health Services team, according to a press release.
Psychiatric NPs assess and diagnose patients, provide psychotherapy and prescribe medication.
Tien Nguyen. Submitted photo.
In addition, six nurse practitioners were added to the team.
“CHC/SEK welcomed its first class of nurse practitioner residents, thanks to a partnership between the Irene Ransom Bradley School of Nursing at Pittsburg State University and the health center. The new residency program is the first such program in Southeast Kansas,” according to the CHC/SEK Facebook page.
“With guidance from their professional preceptors, six nurse practitioners — Lorraine Lorentz, Kelly McGuire, Kelly Mishmash, Brice Saunders, Maranda Scott, and Mayra Watson — will care for patients in Coffeyville, Fort Scott, Pittsburg, and Miami, Oklahoma clinics.”
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas is pleased to welcome Tien Nguyen, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to our Behavioral Health Services team.
Psychiatric NPs assess and diagnose patients, provide psychotherapy and prescribe medication.
They assist patients with mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, or dementia; other patients may struggle with grief, anger, adjustment issues, or other conditions.
Tien is serving patients in Iola, Fort Scott, and Pleasanton clinics. For our patient’s convenience, he is offering a combination of in-person, telehealth, or e-visits.
He is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Tien has previous nursing experience, including inpatient psychiatry, and works with substance use disorders.
If you or a loved one feel they may benefit from psychiatric consultation, appointments can be made by calling 620-231-9873, or by calling your home clinic.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing affordable, high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status. For more information, visit www.chcsek.org
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas now offers COVID-19 antibody testing through QUEST Laboratories, according to Robert Poole, Communication and Marketing Director, in a press release.
Antibody testing is useful for research and specific virus investigations or epidemiologic studies. CHC/SEK shares testing results with its state and federal partners, according to the press release.
Put simply, the body makes antibodies to fend off germs and other harmful substances. And this process is part of the body’s immune response, according to dictionary.com.
The antibody test requires a physician’s order and looks for antibodies in persons who may have had, and have recovered from COVID-19, according to the press release.
Individuals wanting this antibody testing should discuss their concerns and what their results might mean with their doctor.
Laboratory orders can be accepted from physicians outside of the organization for this test, for example, a college student might have a primary care physician in another city.
COVID-19 antibody tests require a blood draw.
Testing is available at either the CHC/SEK Walk in-In Care, 1624 S. National, or the medical clinic at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.
A positive result does not guarantee immunity from the virus. Whether you test positive or negative, you should still take preventative measures to protect yourself and others from the virus.
The cost of the COVID-19 antibody testing is being covered by the federal government, however, patients may incur an office visit fee depending on their insurance and income status.
Other points from the press release:
The science of COVID-19 testing is evolving, and test accuracy is not perfect. However, testing for antibodies can help identify people who have likely been exposed to the COVID-19 and have mounted an immune response to the virus.
The timing of the test is important. It typically takes 1 to 3 weeks after someone becomes infected with COVID-19 for their body to make antibodies; some people may take longer to develop antibodies.
It is unknown if people with antibodies have immunity and are protected from becoming sick with COVID-19 again. It is also not known how long those antibodies will last.
Antibody tests are not used to diagnose someone as being currently sick with COVID-19. To see if you have a current infection, you need a viral test that checks respiratory samples, such as a swab from inside your nose.
Whether you test positive or negative for COVID-19, you should still take preventative measures to protect yourself and others from the virus.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Homemade masks are being advised now for the general public
Robert Poole, Communication and Marketing Director for CHC sent this information directly from National Public Radios’s web page:
The CDC is now recommending people consider wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, because there is increasing evidence that the virus can be spread by presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers.
To view the way to make homemade face masks from household items, click below:
These new policies come with the vital plea that people don’t use the medical-grade masks that are in short supply in hospitals right now.
On Community Health Center’s Facebook page recently, a patient who was a woodworker donated his n95 respirators to CHC for medical personnel.
Poole also responded to the following questions:
What other occupations would have the medical-grade masks?
Poole said he took the following information directly from National Public Radio’s story on masks from their web page.
Construction businesses and contractors
– Woodworking shops
– Manufacturing plants and factories
– Landscapers
– Auto shops/body shops
– Painters: The masks do not protect against paint fumes, but are used as dust masks during sanding.
– Nail salons: The masks do not protect against chemical vapors, but protect against acrylic powder or dust from filing artificial nails.
– Hardware stores and tool retailers: Harbor Freight is donating its entire supply of personal protective equipment.
– Mold remediation companies
– Cleaning companies: However, many cleaning companies are facing intense demand for sanitation services because of the coronavirus crisis and may need their masks to protect their own vulnerable workers.
Where can people take donations if they have them?
“Any CHC/SEK location will gladly accept donations of N95 masks.”
What about the homemade masks people are making for medical personnel, are they effective?
” In order to reserve our supplies of medical masks, we have instituted the use of homemade masks in non-patient care areas,” Poole said.
Poole provided the following from the NPR wedsite:
Can public face-coverings prevent the spread of the virus?
The primary benefit of covering your nose and mouth is that you protect others. While there is still much to be learned about the novel coronavirus, it appears that many people who are infected are shedding the virus – through coughs, sneezes and other respiratory droplets – for 48 hours before they start feeling sick. And others who have the virus – up to 25%, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield — may never feel symptoms but may still play a role in transmitting it. That’s why wearing a mask even if you don’t feel sick can be a good idea.
If you cough or sneeze, the mask can catch those respiratory droplets so they don’t land on other people or surfaces. “So it’s not going to protect you, but it is going to protect your neighbor,” says Dr. Daniel Griffin at Columbia University, an expert on infectious diseases. “If your neighbor is wearing a mask and the same thing happens, they’re going to protect you. So masks worn properly have the potential to benefit people.”
If I’m wearing a mask and someone sneezes on me, would the mask offer some protection?
Yes. But only if you use the mask properly and don’t touch it with your hands afterward. Those droplets from a cough or sneeze would hit your mask instead of your mouth and nose — good news. But the next step is to take the mask off by the ear bands and either wash or discard it — without touching the front of it. If you touch the front of the mask, whatever that person coughed or sneezed on it is now on your hands.
One other thing: Ideally you would have eye protection, too, to keep that stranger’s sneeze from getting in. Glasses and sunglasses aren’t perfect but can help.
What about homemade masks?
Some research has shown that cotton T-shirt material and tea towels might help block respiratory droplets emitting from sick people — though it’s not clear how much protection they provide.
How often do I need to wash it?
Griffin says to think of a mask as like underwear: It needs to be washed after each use. “You don’t take this dirty mask off, put it in your purse and then stick it back on your face,” he says. “It’s something that once you put on, is potentially either touching your coughs, sneezes or the spray of your speech, or protecting you from the coughs, spray, speech of other people. And now it’s dirty. It needs to basically be either discarded or washed.”
CHC/SEK IS RESPONDING TO COVID-19 The COVID-19 situation is challenging each of us in different ways. For the staff at CHC/SEK, “business as usual” has always meant constantly trying to improve and find new and better ways to care for our patients.
This week we made several procedural changes in response to the virus. You will see tents in front of some of our clinics, and a screening nurse will greet you at all locations.
Nurses will ask you a few questions, and possibly take your temperature before you enter the clinic. The reason is to identify any potential COVID-19 patients before they enter, so we can properly treat them with minimum exposure to other patients and our clinical staff. In some cases, COVID-19 testing may take place in the patient’s vehicle rather than inside the clinic.
Public Health Officials are emphasizing that not everyone can, or needs, to be tested. Potential COVID-19 patients must meet specific guidelines that include specific symptoms and risk actors as directed by the CDC and state health departments. Our Nurse-staffed information line is now open 24-hours a day to answer health questions and screen patients concerned about exposure to the virus. The toll-free number is 866.888.8650.
We also understand that as the virus pandemic continues, we must continue to provide our “normal” health care services with as little interruption as possible.
We are now seeing some patients through eVisits. Patients can be “seen” by their health care provider from home via a smartphone or other device using an internet or data connection. E-visits are a convenient option for patients who are generally in good health, and more routine visits. Call us at your regular clinic number to ask about eVisits.
We’re also shifting appointment times in some locations, with “well” or routine visits in the mornings (or afternoons), and ill, or symptomatic patients on the opposite schedule with the idea of minimalizing exposure risks.
In Pittsburg, we will soon be diverting well-child visits with our pediatricians to our mobile clinic, called the KidCare Connection. We want to keep your healthy child’s examinations and vaccinations on schedule in the safest environment possible. The bus will be parked at 3011 N. Michigan, on the north side of our clinic.
Finally, Apothecare pharmacies at the Pleasanton, Fort Scott, and Pittsburg locations are providing free same-day delivery by vehicle or delivery by mail for prescriptions. CHC/SEK will continue to provide updates as they unfold.
##
The Bourbon County Government has taken possession of the former Mercy Hospital.
Officials Introduce Innovative Healthcare Model
Mercy donates building and 1 million dollars toward a sustainable approach to rural healthcare.
Bourbon County and City of Fort Scott officials are committed to improving the quality of life for each member of the community, increasing access to affordable quality healthcare, and remaining vigilant stewards of taxpayer dollars. For years Fort Scott, KS was renowned for its healthcare. Mercy Hospital was an integral part of our health system from primary care to community benefit to leadership involvement.
What remains today are the caring professionals, ambitious leaders, beautiful hospital campus, and the ingrained culture of ensuring community health needs are addressed appropriately.
Bourbon County Commission will be partnering with our community healthcare partners, The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and Ascension Via Christi, and higher education partner, Fort Scott Community College, in transforming our approach to rural healthcare. Bourbon County will be taking ownership of the previous Mercy Hospital Building.
With Ascension Via Christi and CHC/SEK occupying a portion of the facility, the county is working with other health service agencies to supplement the community’s health care needs by housing them in the remainder of the move-in ready space.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd., operates the clinic at the former Mercy Hospital building.
For the common good of the community, the building will be repurposed into a collaborative effort that will be here for decades to come.
Ascension Via Christi President, Randy Cason, states, “This is exciting news for Fort Scott and the surrounding communities. Ascension Via Christi is eager to continue working with our community partners here to help to find solutions for the healthcare needs of this more rural area.”
Ascension Via Christi operates the emergency department at the former Mercy Hospital building.
Mercy Health Southwest Missouri/Kansas Communities has submitted a draft donation agreement to donate the building and one million dollars to Bourbon County for use of building maintenance and operations. This donation allows healthcare entities to lease space in the healthcare mall at market-rate. A standardized market-rate lease has led to discussions with healthcare organizations to expand services not otherwise offered.
Administration from Bourbon County and The City of Fort Scott will work together, develop a regulatory board and long-term lease agreements moving forward.
“This project is much more than just saving a building,” Jody Hoener, Economic Development Director, “Preserving this asset allows our community to no longer be victims of circumstance, but to assume responsibility for our community’s healthcare destiny. It creates a sustainable healthcare model under one roof.” There is little doubt in the concept’s success with the right amount of support and will be used as a model shaping rural healthcare policy across the nation.
Contact information:
Jody Hoener, Bourbon County Economic Development Director
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) Board of Directors took no action today toward establishing a “medical mall” within the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital. Prior to finalizing plans for the construction of a new primary care clinic, CHC/SEK had spent the past month assessing the feasibility of remaining in the existing building.
“It was our goal,” said CHC/SEK CEO Krista Postai, “to see if we could recruit enough occupants to cover the cost of repurposing the former hospital built in 2002 at the cost of $30 million.”
“After analyzing costs over the last year and projecting expenses if the building’s space was fully utilized, we estimated that we would need about $800,000 to $1 million annually to cover utilities and maintenance plus the staff to keep the building maintained and fully operational,” said Postai, adding the bulk of that expense would have to be covered by CHC/SEK and Ascension/Via Christi who together would occupy a large percentage of the overall building.
CHC/SEK staff met with multiple people and organizations to discuss their interest including officials from Fort Scott Community College who identified opportunities for space for their nursing department, as well as additional dormitory space. We were especially appreciative of the Bourbon County Commission who had pledged “in-kind” support to take care of mowing, snow removal, etc., as well as the Mercy Health System who had tentatively committed funds for needed and future repairs.
“Altogether, we had tentative commitments from about a half dozen interested in being a part of the project which covered about 100,000 sq. ft. of the 125,000 sq. ft. of available space,” said Postai, who explained the entire building is 177,000 sq. ft. but about 50,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to mechanical space that supports the overall building operations.
“That was assuming Ascension/Via Christi remained in the existing ER and Diagnostic Imaging area, and we continued to occupy the clinic space plus the pharmacy,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we were notified Wednesday that after analyzing their options, Ascension/Via Christi had determined to remain in the existing building on a permanent basis was cost-prohibitive, and it was more fiscally prudent to build a new ER,” said Postai.
“We were told the existing ER space would need about $3 million in renovations and that, plus a lease payment adequate to cover the cost of their share of the facility, would make it far more expensive than a new facility,” said Postai. The CHC/SEK Board was prepared to make a go/no go decision at their Board meeting Thursday but after learning that Ascension/Via Christi was moving forward on their own construction, the board determined it was not possible to pursue this project without them.
“We all have to make hard decisions about what is best for our organizations and, unfortunately, we all have limited funds and have to maximize our capital investments,” said Postai adding that both organizations remain committed to providing services in Ft. Scott.
Both CHC/SEK and Ascension/Via Christi had already started designing new facilities on the existing campus and will proceed on, said Postai explaining CHC/SEK was planning a 25,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft. facility facing Horton Street at an estimated cost of about $5 million.
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) Board of Directors took no action today toward establishing a “medical mall” within the former Fort Scott Mercy Hospital. Prior to finalizing plans for the construction of a new primary care clinic, CHC/SEK had spent the past month assessing the feasibility of remaining in the existing building.
“It was our goal,” said CHC/SEK CEO Krista Postai, “to see if we could recruit enough occupants to cover the cost of repurposing the former hospital built in 2002 at the cost of $30 million.”
“After analyzing costs over the last year and projecting expenses if the building’s space was fully utilized, we estimated that we would need about $800,000 to $1 million annually to cover utilities and maintenance plus the staff to keep the building maintained and fully operational,” said Postai, adding the bulk of that expense would have to be covered by CHC/SEK and Ascension/Via Christi who together would occupy a large percentage of the overall building.
CHC/SEK staff met with multiple people and organizations to discuss their interest including officials from Fort Scott Community College who identified opportunities for space for their nursing department, as well as additional dormitory space. We were especially appreciative of the Bourbon County Commission who had pledged “in-kind” support to take care of mowing, snow removal, etc., as well as the Mercy Health System who had tentatively committed funds for needed and future repairs.
“Altogether, we had tentative commitments from about a half dozen interested in being a part of the project which covered about 100,000 sq. ft. of the 125,000 sq. ft. of available space,” said Postai, who explained the entire building is 177,000 sq. ft. but about 50,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to mechanical space that supports the overall building operations.
“That was assuming Ascension/Via Christi remained in the existing ER and Diagnostic Imaging area, and we continued to occupy the clinic space plus the pharmacy,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we were notified Wednesday that after analyzing their options, Ascension/Via Christi had determined to remain in the existing building on a permanent basis was cost-prohibitive, and it was more fiscally prudent to build a new ER,” said Postai.
“We were told the existing ER space would need about $3 million in renovations and that, plus a lease payment adequate to cover the cost of their share of the facility, would make it far more expensive than a new facility,” said Postai. The CHC/SEK Board was prepared to make a go/no go decision at their Board meeting Thursday but after learning that Ascension/Via Christi was moving forward on their own construction, the board determined it was not possible to pursue this project without them.
“We all have to make hard decisions about what is best for our organizations and, unfortunately, we all have limited funds and have to maximize our capital investments,” said Postai adding that both organizations remain committed to providing services in Ft. Scott.
Both CHC/SEK and Ascension/Via Christi had already started designing new facilities on the existing campus and will proceed on, said Postai explaining CHC/SEK was planning a 25,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft. facility facing Horton Street at an estimated cost of about $5 million.
“After almost a full year of providing services in Ft. Scott, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas wanted to take one last look at preserving the hospital building that was built to last through several generations. As you can imagine, transitioning almost 75 people and five clinics in a few short months was a very daunting task a year ago and, at the time, we were concerned about making it as seamless as possible. We were aware that our lease was only two years and that a long-term solution needed to be found and the easiest approach was to build from ground up. We have indeed started that process.
However, one can’t spend any time in Ft. Scott without realizing the impact the Sisters of Mercy have had on the community over the last century and how much their hospital meant to everyone – especially those who donated toward building it. With a year of history in the building, we thought it wise before we invested $5 million in building a new clinic, to evaluate what the actual costs of keeping the hospital building open have been. Without many of the services a hospital provides, the cost appears to have been far less than originally projected. In the meantime, there has been renewed interest in using portions of the space for health-related purposes as evidenced by the meeting held in Ft. Scott a few weeks ago.
As a result, CHC/SEK is doing a feasibility study to determine exactly what it will take to preserve the facility from destruction. We have approached the Mercy System about the possibility of acquiring the building and they have responded positively. At this point, everything is very preliminary and no formal ask has been made.
This is something we can’t do alone. We have also approached other possible major tenants in the building including Ascension/Via Christi and may have enough to sustain and maintain the facility. Again, everything is in the discussion stages with no firm commitments or contracts. We will also be talking with the city and county over the next few weeks. The last thing we want to do is raise false hopes so please know this is just an evaluation of what may be possible.
I will be presenting a recommendation to my Board at their January 16th meeting. Time is of the essence so a decision whether to formally approach the Mercy System for the donation must be made prior to February 1. Two building projects have already been initiated for a new clinic and an new ER and decisions have to be made quickly if we are going to reverse course. That leaves little time to work out all the details and talk with everyone so my apologies to anyone who we may miss over the next few weeks.
We do want people to be aware of our efforts and will be happy to talk to anyone with an interest that we haven’t already spoken with. The concept of a ‘medical mall’ is a promising one but, at this point, is only an idea. The best way to reach me is via email at kpostai@chcsek.org.”
Fort Scott native Dr. Grant Hartman has joined the staff of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg and will be seeing patients starting in January.
He will see patients in Pittsburg on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and Wednesdays in CHC/SEK’s Fort Scott clinic at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling 620.240.5679.
Dr. Hartman is a graduate of Pittsburg State University with a BS in biology, and Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, MO.
He has owned and operated Hartman Spine & Joint in Fort Scott since August 2015.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the team at CHC/SEK,” Dr. Hartman said in a press release. “I’m inspired by their mission to provide care to all, and their total, holistic approach to health care. Chiropractic medicine provides extensive pain management solutions equipping patients to achieve better health through wellness and it’s very exciting to see CHC/SEK recognize that medications are not always the answer to a patient’s pain. Working in conjunction with the primary care doctors to treat patients with acute and chronic pain will be one of my focuses there.”
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Clinic, 401 Woodland Hills, just off Hwy. 69 south of Fort Scott.
He will be working within CHC/SEK’s Wellness Department, which also employs a full-time physical therapist, wellness coordinator, and a wellness services assistant, according to the press release. Personalized treatment and exercise programs are designed around each patient’s physical deficiencies or needs, and patients are encouraged to develop goals based on their unique personal requirements.
Since taking over operations of the medical clinic from Mercy Hospital earlier this year, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas has been working to add more doctors’ services.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 403 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Added Doctors
The following doctors have recently been added or added more days available in the Fort Scott clinic.
Dr. Alicia Pino, D. O. is a board-certified pediatrician and holds medical privileges from Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.
Dr. Holly Gault, M.D. is a board-certified family physician with obstetrics and has medical privileges at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, Pittsburg.
“They aren’t really new,” Krista Postai, CEO and president of CHCSEK said of the two doctors. “Dr. Gault, a family physician, has been with us for more than three years in Pittsburg and lives near Arcadia so is actually closer to Ft. Scott. She has been seeing patients there one day a week and is increasing to two.”
“Dr. Pino joined us this summer; she is a board-certified pediatrician and is currently seeing patients one day a week in Fort Scott. She also sees newborns at Via Christi Ascension and patients in Pittsburg three days a week.”
“We thought it would be more convenient for those Bourbon County women delivering in Pittsburg to have both these doctors more available for follow up visits,” she said.
Dr. Grant Hartman, a Fort Scott Chiropractor officially joins CHCSEK this month and, beginning in January, will provide chiropractic services at their clinics in both Pittsburg and Fort Scott, Postai said.
Dr. Bashar Marji is the latest addition of specialists added, Postai said. Marji is a cardiology specialist who will come to Fort Scott one Friday each month.
The following are the specialists currently in Fort Scott, with their frequency:
Cardiology – Dr. Markham (HCA) – the first, third and fourth Thursday of each month;
Urology – Dr. Tawil – every Thursday;
Orthopedics – Greg King, APRN (Freeman) – every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday;
Surgery – Dr. Hall (Allen County Regional Hospital) – Thursday afternoons, Friday all-day of every week;
Cardiology – Renae Bateman, APRN (Mercy) – every Monday;
Cardiovascular Surgery – the combination of Dr. Meyer/Dr. Brown/Pam Darnell, APRN/Amanda Lumpkins, APRN/Paige Palmer, APRN (all Mercy) – First and Third Friday of every month;
Cardiology – Dr. Marji – one Friday each month
New Clinic Building In Process
CHC/SEK will be building a facility on Horton, just west of the former Mercy Hospital building.
The move to build a new clinic on the Horton Street side of the former Mercy Hospital in on-going, Postai said.
Currently, CHCSEK is finalizing the donation of land from Mercy Hospital, she said. Additionally, they are working on the design of the new building.
“We are looking at eight acres including the helipad,” Postai said. “We expect to have that done very shortly and are looking at a groundbreaking in the spring.”
