THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health (MPH), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.
COVID-19 Testing:
According to Beard, to date, MPH has tested 2,100 patients for COVID-19 with a positive return rate of 8.71 percent, or approximately 183 cases. Beard said the majority of those tested are from Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, with a few from southern Virginia.
These totals do not include the 155 participants of the free COVID-19 testing event sponsored by Granville Vance Public Health at Shiloh Baptist Church in Henderson on June 24, or patients tested at providers such as Vance Family Medicine or Duke Primary Care.
While Beard said tremendous efforts are being focused on broader community testing, and some providers are offering tests to asymptomatic patients, MPH is currently offering results via rapid testing to symptomatic patients or those who are identified as high exposure risks.
MPH’s New Catheterization Lab
Beard was pleased to announce that MPH’s new $3.2 million catheterization (cath) lab will open its doors to patients in early August. Construction began on the lab, located off of the emergency room and adjacent to the helipad, this past fall.
“It’s going to be beautiful,” said Beard. “It’s as nice a cath lab as any in the region. We are very excited about what we can do from a preventative and emergent standpoint with cardiovascular care.”
The lab will expand on Maria Parham Cardiology’s current services including heart catheterization studies, non-surgical stent procedures, stress tests, echocardiograms, heart monitoring and pacemaker implantation.
Beard said the continued expansion of health services offered in the local, rural community is the commitment of Maria Parham and Duke LifePoint Healthcare.
“We have interventional cardiologists from Duke,” explained Beard. “These are the same doctors you would see if you drove to Durham for care. Our mentality is you shouldn’t have to fight the traffic when you’re fighting for your life.”
Due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety precautions, Beard said a virtual tour of the cath lab will be posted online in the next week or so, followed by a live ribbon-cutting event posted on MPH’s Facebook page in early August.
Please visit MPH’s website www.mariaparham.com and Facebook page (click here) for more information. WIZS will also bring you more updates as they are received.
To hear the interview with Beard in its entirety, including additional MPH, COVID-19 and community health updates, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.