Noxubee General Hospital adjusting to COVID-19

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — COVID-19 has placed many hospitals in uncharted territory this year alone.

At Noxubee General Hospital, COVID-19 has taught them many lessons, one being teamwork.

“What we learn is that working together as a team is the most important thing. That you communicate well with one another and you voice what your concerns are and you’ll be patient and you hear them out,” said Danny McKay, hospital administrator.

McKay said there were many challenges the hospital faced at first.

“At first you know that was the issue of, we didn’t know if we were going to get the personal protective gear that we got,” said McKay. “But that worked out, the state worked really well with us and a lot of the manufacturers have risen to the occasion. The other thing is we don’t have ventilators you know for the more serious COVID patients that require ventilators. They always have to step up to a higher level of care.”

McKay said there are barriers in the hospital to separate non-COVID patients.

“We have temporary barriers that is similar to what you see at a convenience store that has a Plexiglas,” said McKay. “We have our COVID staff who works exclusively in that area and they don’t carry it to the other patients that are non-COVID.

Meg Ebert who will soon lead the hospital as an administrator, said COVID-19 has forced the hospital to make many adjustments to best assist each patient.

“Well with COVID it is something we have never experienced before so we really had to just work together as a team, come up with new solutions new ideas,” she said. “We are here to provide healthcare for our community and it changed the way we did that. We have just learned to just do it. Work together and persevere in healthcare as heroes.

Noxubee County has reported 267 positive COVID-19 test results.

Eight people have died after being diagnosed with the virus.