The ongoing COVID to Home Clinic, initiated by San Juan Regional Medical Center, provides COVID-19 positive patients, or those with the signs and symptoms, with day-to-day care via telemedicine visits, so they can recover safely at home.
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If you're experiencing COVID like symptoms
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or tested positive for the virus
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and don't have a primary care provider,
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the COVID to Home clinic can help.
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You're watching the Local News Network,
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle,
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initiated by San Juan Regional
Medical Center last April,
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the COVID to Home program
is a telemedicine clinic
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that provides coordinated
care so patients can recover
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at home while avoiding
overloading the hospital.
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A staff of 10 nurses and
doctors virtually meet
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and monitor patients daily
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to determine if they need
a greater level of care.
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We found out that a lot of
people go downhill really fast
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when they are having difficulty breathing,
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when they come out of the hospital,
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before they go in the hospital,
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a lot of times those are
the most dangerous periods.
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And so we monitor them very closely.
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High intensity patients are
provided a digital oximeter
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or oxygen sensor to monitor
their oxygen intake.
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If their oxygen level drops
below a reading of 88,
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they know it's time to
get to the hospital.
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Patients enrolled in the program
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are categorized by
different levels of risk.
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Those with mild symptoms
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who don't require hospitalization,
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and those who've been
discharged to self isolate.
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All say they are grateful for
their provider's attention
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and consideration.
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And a lot of them say
that they're very scared
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when they find out they have COVID,
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and they're scared when they can breathe.
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So by getting them set up
with oxygen if they need it,
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by having a monitor carefully,
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by having people who know
what they're doing call them
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and ask them questions about
what is your oxygen been,
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how are you feeling,
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what's happening with
this side or the other,
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they know somebody is watching over them
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and when you have to be
isolated and quarantined,
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and away from other people,
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and a lot of people don't
have a lot of family here,
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it really makes a
difference in how they feel.
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On average, a patient will be monitored
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for two weeks either online or by phone.
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Medical staff monitor up
to 25 patients each day.
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The COVID to Home clinic is based
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out of the San Juan health partners
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family medicine office in Aztec.
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If you're interested in
joining this program,
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call 5056096284.
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Thanks for watching this edition
of the Local News Network
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brought to you by Fastsigns.
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I'm Wendy Graham Settle.