The COVID vaccination is a hot topic among health care facilities around the State and Haxtun is no exception. Chief Executive Officer Dewane Pace gave an update to Haxtun Health Board of Directors during a late-month August meeting, noting at this time, the local health care organization has not mandated the COVID vaccine for its employees.

“Discussions continue to happen at the National, State and local levels regarding mandatory COVID vaccines for healthcare workers,” Pace said. “Several hospital systems across the country and the state have mandated vaccines for their employees including UC Health, Banner, Denver Health, the VA hospital, National Jewish, Kaiser Permanente and others.”

According to Pace, the Colorado Hospital Association has issued a statement in support of the vaccine and has stated that all health care employees should become vaccinated.

“At Haxtun Health, employees, patients and visitors that have not been vaccinated are required to wear a mask while in the building,” said Pace. “At this time, Haxtun Health has not mandated the COVID vaccine for its employees but continues to monitor the situation as it develops.”

Last month, reports from the administrative health team noted there hadn’t been any positive COVID tests in the Haxtun Health lab but that has since changed. Chief of Staff Dr. Ben Stephenson said there has been in increase in positive tests, five over the past month, one of which required hospitalization.

Stephenson also noted that Haxtun Health is preparing for impending booster vaccinations and that patients are already inquiring about the booster and requesting to be added to a waiting list.

Chief Nursing Officer, Lea White, said plans are in the works for the booster vaccination for residents of the Extended Care Unit. Staff is also re-visiting the topic with patients who have refused the vaccine in anticipation of a potential rise in cases.

Currently, all visitors are asked to wear a mask unless they have been vaccinated and provided a copy of their record. “The ECU population is our most vulnerable, so we want to protect those who have not been vaccinated,” White said.

In addition to updates regarding the COVID vaccine, Pace gave board members information on the current infrastructure project at the main hospital campus as well as on the main street clinic.

“The main hospital campus has a lot of activity now happening; storage containers onsite, heavy equipment, contractors and workers all working to replace and shore up our infrastructure,” Pace said. “With new lighting, air conditioning, heating, roofing, ceilings, electric and more, this project is breaking new life into our existing building making sure that it will be in good shape for years to come.”

Pace said the infrastructure overhaul is significantly less expensive than building a new hospital. The project, he added, has been possible with grant dollars from the Department of Local Affairs.

Chief Community Relations Officer Julia Biesemeier added that the roof replacement on the ECU side of the building has begun, which is phase one of the project.

Phase two, she said, includes boiler room abatement and pluming work. Some crews are currently waiting on approval of state licensing before work can begin.

As for the main street clinic, Pace said site excavation work is complete and steel work is underway with helical piers installed. “We are continuing to shoot for a building that is weathered in before winter sets in,” he added.

In other business:

• Chief Financial Officer Joleen Stroyek said in-patient days were 53 percent over budget for the month and 24 percent over budget year-to-date. She said swing bed days were negative 23 percent for the month but 23 percent over budget year-to-date. The average daily census in the Extended Care Unit for July was 18.2, three percent under budget for the month. Clinic visits totaled 445 for July and 2,663 for the year.

• New Pharmacist Andrew Gonzales arrived on Aug. 9. His addition should fully extend retail pharmacy hours to mirror the Haxtun clinic Saturday hours;

• A new point of sale system was installed in the dietary department. It allows employees to use an electronic when ordering;

• The following appointments and re-appointments were made: Bradley Brown, MD, locum, family medicine; Byron Barksdale, MD, consulting, pathology; Lyle Barksdale, MD, consulting, pathology; Michael Matergia, MD, locum, family practice; Stephenson, MD, family medicine; Jeffrey Tyer, MD, family medicine.