CEO updates about GRMC opening

As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has began to allow Texas to open while the country navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic, Graham Regional Medical Center is still taking precautions when it comes opening to full capacity.

GRMC CEO Shane Kernell spoke to the board of directors Tuesday, May 19 to discuss what the hospital is doing in terms of limiting restrictions on reopening. The hospital has started to do elective surgeries and radiology, but Kernell updated the board on what precautions and restrictions the hospital is still keeping in place until a later date.

“As you all are aware, or maybe aware, Phase I and Phase II are the openings we are in so far with the governor. Gov. Abbott came out with Phase I and then Phase II. He is pretty much following the president’s guidelines and with that we are waiting for Phase III and I think that is going to be coming out within the next couple of weeks,” Kernell said. “Right now, Phase II is what we are in. We had a good question this morning on Facebook, (and) we are still only allowing one visitor per patient in our hospital. That is guidelines set forth by the CDC as well as the state of Texas, as well as CMS (U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). We are following the strictest of those rules and it is also our choice if we wanted to allow for no visitors. There are some hospitals that we are aware of in the Fort Worth and Dallas area that still today have a no visitor policy, but we have not ever gone to that level. We are still allowing for one visitor.”

For the full story, see the Wednesday, May 27 edition of The Graham Leader.