City of Ames, IA COVID-19, 25 Sep 2020

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From YouTube: Ames Responds to COVID-19 | Episode 19

Description

In This Episode of Ames Responds to Covid-19, we speak with Steve Sullivan from the Mary Greeley Medical Center about the Test Iowa site, Mary Greeley's visitor policies and the Covid-19 numbers in Story County. Also, Vanessa Baker-Latimer joins us to talk about the Mortgage, Rent and Utilities Assistance available through the City. Last, some information about this year's Trick of treating night in Ames.

A

Hi welcome to ames response to cobin 19, a question and answer program where ames area organizations respond to your kobid 19 questions. I'm susan guiasta, public relations officer with the city of ames, on today's show we're talking with steve sullivan director of marketing and community relations at mary greeley medical center and with city of ames housing coordinator, vanessa, baker. Latimer welcome to the show both of you. Thank you.

A

uh Last time we talked with steve sullivan the test iowa clinic site had just opened and testing had just started. Let's do a follow-up steve. How are things going and what do you do if you think you need to be tested.

B

uh Tests are going just fine and if you are interested in having a test, you will want to go on the test, iowa site and take the assessment. If you qualify for a test, you um will then select a site. Go to the second page, you'll go to other options, and then you go to local options and the story county test. Iowa site is at the bottom of that list. So you'll click on that. You will need to call an 800 number, uh the 800 number.

B

Should you qualify for the test and then you um let people know you want to come to the story county test, iowa clinic, which is on the second page of the locations. Then you call 800 three 866 nine, two to schedule your appointment. I took a family member out there. uh He qualified. I took him out there. It took about five minutes. It's uh it's a very slick operation.

A

Absolutely I've heard several people say they got right through and where it was very professional, very efficient.

B

It was it's great. We have some terrific people, staffing it. I mean it's a very efficient process.

A

Great um so test iowa clinic site going well, that's off uh that is located at the isu research park.

B

Right right across the street from provisions restaurant.

A

Okay and just a follow-up with you steve um anything happening at mary greeley medical center. That you'd like to share.

B

Well, um today, actually we have um um ease our visitor uh policy, our visitor restrictions. We have been for several weeks now, not allowing any visitors because of coveted precautions. uh However, we are, we are always reviewing our visitor policies and have decided that it's time to allow visitors again, so patients can have one visitor at a time.

B

So all visitors will have to wear a mask, we'll ask them to do hand, hygiene and also, when they're visiting, to stay in the patient room unless they are visiting the bathroom or going to the coffee shop or going to the cafeteria, and I urge people to do both because the cafeteria is great and so is the coffee shop. So um there are some um for the gift shop. Also, um there are some exceptions. uh Pediatric patients can have two visitors uh end of life situation.

B

Two visitors we can't we are not allowing visitors for behavior health patients. Nor are we allowing visitors for covet patients, so everybody will still have to go through a screening. um There are just slight changes for our birthways unit. Birthways has always allowed one support person and we will continue to allow one support person, but that support person really is that one visitor allowed under the policy and in birthway's case that support person has to be the one visitor for the patient's entire stay.

B

So that's all still in place. The key change in um for birthdays, however, is we are now allowing doulas. um Doulas are specially trained people who are coaches? If you will support people for um women when they are in labor um in delivery, so doulas, we have not allowed doulas during this, uh but we are now allowing them back um and they can be there for the delivery and labor. uh But then then they will have to leave again, but they can be here for that um that those very key uh uh moments.

A

Oh thanks, steve. That's a little bit of bright news. um You know those are difficult times when you're in the hospital be to be able to have um some people to support you at that time. It's important nice to know that this change has happened. I'm assuming it's in response to our coveted numbers.

B

Well, it's in a response absolutely to covet numbers. We've um uh we've seen our positivity rate for the county go down. I think we're uh like a little over eight percent right now, when we were in 22 23 right in there for a while, um which was very disconcerting.

B

We've seen um a fairly significant decrease in the number of coveted, related hospitalizations over the past about two weeks, we're under six. We have been under six coveted patients for at least a week now, which is very encouraging um and but also, we also recognize the value um that having visitors has to the healing process when you're in the hospital we have families and and patients, of course, who have um requested uh to have visitors during this time.

B

It's been very difficult for us to say no, we just can't right now, and our staff also have also been very supportive of of getting visitors and been looking forward to um letting visitors be back at the hospital. Because, again, we all know the role they play in the healing process.

A

Yeah thanks for that great update, uh we're gonna switch gears here for a minute. A lot of people have been affected by coven 19 financially, uh people have lost income and have had their hours reduced, but there are programs that can help vanessa baker. Latimer is administrating one of those programs vanessa. What can you tell us about the mortgage, rental and utilities assistance program.

C

Yes, so we're currently taking applications for that program. uh It is to help uh assist people with their utility bills, their uh rent payments and mortgage payments. uh We just got news a couple weeks ago from the uh hud that we can now assist up to six months. It was limited to three months. So if you've gotten help in the past, we can help you forward. So uh that's a good, that's a good thing, um so we are really um trying to get the word out to people that don't worry about.

C

I've never asked for help before I don't know if I should save it for someone else. These funds are for you because this pandemic affects everyone, and so we are wanting people to come in and apply check out our website at www city of ames forward, slash housing for more information about the income limits. You can apply online there. You can download an application there. We also have applications available in the east entrance of city hall right there.

C

You don't even have to come all the way into city hall and get an application, and uh we have a new thing that we're doing right now. Susan is where people can drop off their applications right now because of being covet sensitive. We have utilizing the front entrance of the auditorium on the north side of city hall and applications can be dropped off there between nine and four monday through friday, and uh we can get all your information upstairs. We also are taking applications to help people that might need help filling out their applications.

C

They just have to call our hotline number at five one, five, two three, nine five, three eight zero, and so we're also going to be uh hopefully expanding our program to help more uh individuals and other other entities in the city. So look forward for that to be coming out, hopefully, within the next month, so we are excited to have these funds. uh These are our community development block grant funds that are this specifically set aside for cobit, and uh you know we get blunt grant funds because people send out that extensive information.

C

So don't forget to do that this year too,.

A

Absolutely good reminders, census forms are due time is running out september. 30Th is the deadline for that for more information about this housing program and it is a grant. You will uh not have to repay this these this funding city of aims.org housing, to get application information. Thank you vanessa, and thank you steve for joining us today. uh One final note: the city of ames just released information about halloween and the official trick-or-treat night in ames is saturday october.

A

31St recommended trick-or-treating hours are from 5 30 to 7 30 pm the centers for disease control does consider traditional trick-or-treating as a high-risk activity, but has suggested practices to mitigate many of those risks.

A

Please remember to wear a face covering when you're trick-or-treating stay with your own family, keep physical distance from others and only go to homes with the lights on for additional holiday safety, information go to the cdc website or look at city of aims.org under the news item for halloween ames response to cobin 19 is an opportunity for ames residents to ask their kobig 19 pandemic questions. Is there something that you're curious about?

A

Let us know we'll put together another program soon and we can feature your question call us with your questions on our city hotline 515-239-5670 or send us an email at cobid19 city of ames dot. Org, remember, city of ames has covered 19 information on our website. Cydiabanes.Org cobin19, thanks for.

A