Local statistics as of March 21:
Persons tested in Licnoln County 27
Persons with negative results 9
Persons with positive results 0
Test results still pending 18
Cases in Montana (as of 3/22) 34
COVID-19 symptoms:
According to the Center for Disease Control, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
Anyone with symptoms that are not severe and who feels they need medical evaluation is asked to call ahead to the medical facility in an effort to protect others from possible exposure.
If you develop severe symptoms including the following emergency warning signs for COVID-19, get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion or inability to arouse
- Bluish lips or face
Submitted by Kate Stephens
CPMC’s ongoing COVID-19 preparation
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center continues to make changes to their daily operations in an effort to protect their patients, staff members, and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week alone, visitation guidelines at CPMC changed and several service lines were modified to be open for urgent and emergent needs only.
Below is a list of Cabinet Peaks Medical Center updates for the public as of March 20.
CPMC’s Emergency Department remains open, as always, to serve the emergent needs of the community, but would like to remind the community that this is not the medical place of choice for screening, testing, or treatment for COVID-19 and should only be utilized if symptoms are urgent or emergent.
No visitors are allowed into the facility with the following exceptions: parents and legal guardians of minor patients, 1 partner or coach with a laboring patient, and special considerations for end of life patients.
The front doors to Cabinet Peaks Medical Center will be locked daily from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. and will be locked on Saturdays and Sundays. Approved visitors can still enter the facility during these times by following instructions on signage in front of the medical center.
All services are cancelled for the following departments: Senior Life Solutions, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Extend Class, and Sleep Center.
All elective surgeries have been cancelled.
All screening and annual appointments have been delayed or postponed for the following services: imaging, laboratory, cardiopulmonary, diabetes and nutrition, Cabinet Peaks Clinic Family Medicine, Cabinet Peaks Clinic Bull River, Cabinet Peaks Clinic OB/GYN, and Cabinet Peaks Clinic General Surgery.
These departments remain open for urgent and diagnostic needs.
CPMC Chemotherapy and Infusion and Rehabilitative Services continue to evaluate their workflow to ensure patient and staff safety and will continue to see a portion of their patient population at this time. Routes to enter these departments and processes within the departments may look different. These departments will contact you directly with instructions if these changes affect you in any way.
Laboring patients who need care must enter the building through the South door, which is located on 3rd street, and call the nurses station at 283-7170 upon arrival. A staff member will meet them at the door and accompany them to the labor and delivery suite. There are signs at the door with instructions to call.
All group activities, classes, and support groups taking place on Cabinet Peaks Medical Center’s campus have cancelled at this time.
The CPMC Annual Health Fair has been cancelled.
“In addition to these changes, CPMC has activated its Incident Command System and is working diligently to prepare its staff for what could be an influx of COVID-19 patients in respiratory distress to our facility,” stated Kate Stephens, Public Information Officer for Cabinet Peaks Medical Center. “We have finalized operational plans for over 20 of our departments and are working on finishing the final few department plans in the next couple of days. Our team has worked around the clock to ensure our patient rooms air exchange flow exceeds CDC guidelines for this particular virus; negative pressure rooms and ante-rooms are functioning properly; that we have the proper CDC approved cleaning products specific to COVID-19 in supply in large quantities; and that we are doing everything we can to preserve the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) we have on hand and everything we can to get more PPE here to us in Lincoln County amidst a global shortage. As I’ve stated before, we don’t know how the illness will unfold in Lincoln County, but we are doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, and working around the clock to be as prepared as we possibly can.”
“We would like to remind everyone that if they have any questions regarding COVID-19, the best thing to do is call the Lincoln County COVID-19 hotline at 293-6295 or the State of MT COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-333-0461. These numbers are manned with people who are prepared to answer questions about the virus or what to do if you have symptoms.”
Cabinet Peaks Medical Center would also ask that the community not call their Emergency Department to ask questions related to COVID-19. “Our staff and providers in the Emergency Department are very busy caring for patients who are in need of their skilled services as medical providers. If you are having an emergency, please call 911 or come directly to the emergency room,” added Stephens.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit www.cabinetpeaks.org and check out the medical center’s COVID-19 webpage, or like and follow the medical center on social media. For additional questions regarding Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, please call the Public Information Officer at 283-7000.