"Right now, medical professionals across the state are forced to reuse face masks," Governor Whitmer said.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 5:40 p.m. EDT by Will Kriss

KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) -- Due to shortages of medical supplies in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, both Ascension and Bronson hospitals are asking the public for help with donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Bronson began accepting donations of this nature Monday. The donations are needed due to what is described as a "critical shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfecting supplies nationwide."

The following items will be accepted at five locations:

Bronson cannot accept medication, blankets, toys, clothing or other medical supplies.

In addition to these critical items, Bronson will also accept sewn face masks to conserve supplies. More information on how to do so can be found at this link.

Items that list expiration dates must be unexpired. Officials add that it is essential nobody involved in the distribution or delivery of new/unused materials have any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath) or have recently been around someone who does.

Bronsonwill collect acceptable new/unused items from businesses, organizations and community members at the following five locations Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.:

In addition to Bronson needing donations, Ascension West Michigan announced Tuesday that they are in need of medical supply donations as well.

The organization will begin accepting items on March 25 using a drive-through center. The center will be located at Ascension Borgess Hospital Lawrence Education Center, located at 1521 Gull Road in Kalamazoo.

The items requested by Ascension are largely the same as Bronson:

Tuesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement about the shortage of hospital supplies and PPE equipment.

Ourbrave medical professionals and first-responders are on the front lines of keeping us safe,and we must do everything we can to protect them and everyMichigander we can from the spread of COVID-19,Whitmersaid.Right now, medical professionals across the stateare forced to reuse face masks.Thisincreases the risk of spreading COVID-19 during a timewhenwe shoulddo everything we can to mitigate it.Were not getting the tools we need from the federal government, so its on all of us to work together to protect each other.

According to Whitmer's office, several Michigan businesses have begun manufacturing personal protective equipment in the last two weeks. As of Tuesday,Ford, 3M, the UAW, and GE Health Care have announced a partnership to manufacture respirators.

The most up-to-date information about the COVID-19 outbreak can be found athttps://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/and the CDC website.

Excerpt from:

Ascension and Bronson seeking medical supply donations - Midwest Communication

WARREN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) In response to generous community outreach and in anticipation of caring for an increasing number of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, starting Wednesday, Ascension Southeast Michigan hospitals will have a drive-through donation site for personal protective equipment open at its Corporate Services Building located at 28000 Dequindre in Warren.

The donation box is located at the center building entrance facing Dequindre under the portico. Donations will be able to be accepted Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Supplies being accepted for donation include:

The safety of our patients, care teams and the community is our top priority as we all work to slow thetransmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) and care for all those in need. Ascension Michigan will alwaysfollow the most current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding the use of personal protective equipment. We are accepting donations from businesses and members of the community as a precautionary measure for unpredictable circumstances as we work to contain thespread of COVID-19.

2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Drive-Thru Donation Site Launches At Ascension Health - CBS Detroit

Ascension Wisconsin plans to begin drive-through testing for COVID-19, starting with six sites in southeastern Wisconsin.(Photo: Jen Steele / Journal Sentinel)

Ascension Wisconsin said Monday that ithas begun offering drive-through testing for COVID-19at six sites in southeastern Wisconsinfor people who have been pre-screened and approved to be tested.

The siteswill be open by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the news release. The testing will be overseen by the AscensionMedical Group Wisconsin.

People who want to be tested must be pre-screened by a physician or other clinician with Ascension Medical Group, by phone or virtually.

Virtual, or video, visitsare available through Ascension Online Care.

Patients who meet the criteria based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be given an appointment for drive-through testing.

Live Updates:The latest on coronavirus in Wisconsin

Daily Digest:What you need to know about coronavirus in Wisconsin

MoreCoverage:Coronavirus in the U.S and around the world

On Friday, Aurora Health Care suspended its plansfor drive-through testing sites because of a national shortage of testing supplies.

Aurora was limiting testing to patients who met the two highest tiers in the state guidelines. Those include patients who are hospitalized or who have had exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 patient as well as health care workers with unexplained fever and symptoms of a lower-respiratory tract illness.

The health system had planned to operate a drive-throughsite at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, followed by one at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.

Ascension Wisconsin is sending specimens toQuest Diagnostics and LabCorp to be processed but hopes to have in-house labs to process its own tests soon,Patricia Golden, a physician and the primary care medical director of Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin, said in a statement.Theadditional capacity will allow COVID-19 testing for a wider group of patients.

This will enable the health system to test patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, who are among the most vulnerable to the disease.

The testing sites are:

Additional locations will be opened later this week in Brookfield, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Rhinelander and Crandon. Those include drive-through sites atAscension St. Joseph hospital andAscension Elmbrook hospital in Brookfield.

Patients will remain in their vehicles at the testing site and an Ascension employee will check the patients'information in the electronic health record to confirm that they have been screened.There is no upfront cost for testing, but patients will be asked to provide insurance information if it is not in the patients records.

Health insurersand Medicarehave committed to waiving the cost of the tests for people in their health plans.

Ascension Wisconsin also hasset up a hotline for people who have questions about COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms or want to receive a text message to schedule an Ascension Online Care appointment with a provider. The number is 1-833-981-0711.

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Ascension Wisconsin to begin offering drive-through COVID-19 testing at six sites - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

ASCENSION PARISH - Congested clusters of fast-growing Ascension Parish remained extraordinarily deserted Tuesday as residents listened to Governor John Bel Edwards' stay-at-home order to avoid getting sick. The order took effect 5 p.m. Monday.Cases of coronavirus jumped by 10, from 26 to 36, in Ascension on Tuesday. There is one reported death.Highway 73 near I-10 in Prairieville is one of the most congested areas during peak times, but Tuesday the roads were empty as most people stayed home.In Gonzales, the Tanger Outlet Mall is usually bustling with savvy shoppers looking for bargains, but the parking lots were bare.Some residents are worried about family members and children getting sick, but others say they're not worried or taking any additional precautions.

Same ol' deal, one woman said.Monday, a cluster of five cases were found at a nursing home in Donaldsonville. Tuesday, Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan said he heard rumors about cases at the nursing home all weekend long, but learned firsthand about the confirmed cases after reading a WBRZ report.Nursing home leaders said there were no additional cases as of Tuesday afternoon at the facility. However, they said they are continuing to work with the CDC, along with the state, for assistance.

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Deserted and desolate, Ascension residents heed stay-at-home order - WBRZ

Beginning March 21, Ascension Hospitals will be temporarily stopping in-person visitations, however there will be some exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.

Exceptions will include labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care and end-of-life-care.

Ascension is implementing the no in-person visitation restrictions as a continued attempt to try and limit the chance of exposure to COVID-19 by both patients and employees.

In a statement released by Ascension they stated,

"We understand that during this time it is important to stay connected to loved ones and remain aware of their status while hospitalized. We encourage any potential visitors to use alternate methods of communication to stay in contact with loved ones, such as calling, video chatting, or texting."

The hospital is recommending staying in contact through virtual visitation. Suggesting that both patient and potential visitor download apps like, Facetime, Google Hangout and Skype.

Additional changes to Ascension's restricted visitation policy include:

There is no current time-frame for when this policy will be lifted.

Read more from the original source:

Ascension temporarily stopping in-person visitation - WAOW

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan and the Wamego Health Center are asking for the communities help with donations of masks, gloves, gowns, and shoe covers, as well as continued monetary support.

During this coronavirus pandemic, a list of supplies that could be donated by community members as a way to continue to support both facilities was released.

Some of the items could be items in your home, like nitrile gloves, and sanitization wipes, which can also be used in the medical setting.

The facilities say they will take donations of homemade fabric masks, but they ask that you make them with three layers of cotton fabric only, and can have ear-loop elastics or fabric tie-backs.

Please do not add a layer of polypropylene to the mask, as it will disintegrate in the sterilization process the masks must go through before use.

For those who want to support Ascension Via Christi and Wamego Health Center, but do not have supplies to donate, monetary contributions are also welcome for both facilities.

We can't do this alone, its going to take a community effort and we are so very thankful for you thinking of those in healthcare. Mercy Community Health Foundation and Wamego Health Foundation, Development Director, Tina Rockhold says.

For more information on where to drop off supplies, contact Tina Rockhold at tina.rockhold@ascension.org.

To make monetary donations, please visit click the name of the facility you would like to donate to: Mercy Community Health Foundation in Manhattan or Wamego Community Health Foundation in Wamego.

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Ascension Via Christi and Wamego Health Center welcome to supply donations - WIBW

GONZALES Ascension Parish Assessor M.J. "Mert" Smiley Jr. has closed his offices until further notice to comply with local and state guidelines aimed at limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Earlier this month, the assessor ended walk-in traffic at his offices. Now employees will be working from home but answering the office telephone numbers Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the assessor said in a statement Wednesday.

Over the past several years, the assessor said, he has upgraded his office's systems so they operate more easily online and recently added a new website application for homestead exemptions. The Assessor's Office website has a new tab for the applications, the statement says.

The new online form integrates into the Assessor's Office's existing "paperless workflow system for review and approval, which makes the entire process completely electronic," the statement says.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to remain with those needing healing from the Coronavirus and for everyones protection from this virus," Smiley said in a statement.

The office numbers are (225) 647-8182 and (225) 473-9293. Callers can leave a message after hours. The Assessor's Office website is http://www.ascensionassessor.com

If you have questions about coronavirus, please email our newsroom at online@theadvocate.com.

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Ascension assessor closes offices, beefs up online presence - The Advocate

RACINE COUNTY Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin is developing drive-through testing sites for COVID-19, the organization announced Thursday afternoon. The first three are in Franklin, West Allis and Milwaukee, but Ascension is not publicly announced exact testing site locations.

Individuals who wish to be tested must first be prescreened by an Ascension Medical Group provider, by phone, or virtually using Ascension Online Care. For Racine County residents, they would then be directed to the nearest testing site, in Franklin.

We are working diligently with local and state health officials to operationalize these sites as quickly as possible to keep the health and safety of the communities we're privileged to serve a top priority, an Ascension spokeswoman stated.

The screening involves answering a series of questions about symptoms, travel history and any potential contact with COVID-19 patients. Patients who meet the criteria, which is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be given an appointment for drive-through testing at the appropriate site.

There also is an Ascension COVID-19 Hotline set up for those who have questions about COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms, or those who want to receive a text message to schedule an Ascension Online Care appointment with a provider. The toll-free number for Wisconsin is 1-833-981-0711.

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Ascension sets up first COVID-19 drive-thru test sites - Journal Times

SAINT THOMAS RUTHERFORD and Saint Thomas in Middle Tennessee:Scroll DOWN for information on TriStar StoneCrest Medical in Smyrna, TNAscension Saint Thomas Facility Visitation & Associate Screening Policies As part of a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ascension Saint Thomas has evaluated our visitor policies. Our guidance addresses your safety and the safety of our associates, physicians, and community, while ensuring that we continue to deliver optimal care. Our priority is to reduce transmission and to protect people who are at higher risk for adverse health complications. Please comply with the following revised guidance, which goes into effect today (3/19/20) at 8 p.m.

Visitation Policy | Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 8 p.m.

Visitors are temporarily restricted to: Virtual visitation only If you need support in the virtual visitation process, please ask your nurse or patient care technician

Exceptions to our visitation policy may be made by hospital leadership balancing the health risks and the patient's right to receive visitors.

Predefined exceptions include:

Neonatal ICU and pediatric patients; limited to one legal guardian Women giving birth; limited to one birthing partner Patients undergoing surgery/testing; limited to one visitor End of life care as determined by our care team; limited to one visitor

Mandatory Associate Screening Policy | In Effect

The COVID-19 mandatory associate screening is intended to provide additional safeguards for our patients, families, visitors and caregivers through decreased exposure to individuals who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Effective March 17, 2020, all associates, contingent workers, aligned medical staff, volunteers, residents/students, and other healthcare workers entering our sites of care will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19.

Sites will be placed on restricted ingress for all associates, contingent workers, aligned medical staff, residents and other healthcare workers, and any authorized students and volunteers. Screeners will be stationed at designated entrances to conduct screening assessments of all individuals entering the building.

We expect the screening should take no more than a few minutes per person; however, anticipate that in some locations the volume could cause some delays. Associates not exhibiting symptoms assessed in the screening will be cleared to report to their work area and start their shift.

Associates who indicate positive for the symptoms of fever, cough or flu-like symptoms will be directed to contact the Associate Health Clinical consultation line immediately for further assessment. A triage nurse will discuss your symptoms and may refer those with symptomology consistent with COVID-19 for definitive testing.

Based upon the findings you may be directed to: (1) Remain off of work for up to 14 days with self monitoring; (2) Return to work with self monitoring; (3) Return to work with no monitoring.

Non-Associate contingent workers, aligned medical staff, volunteers, residents/students, and other healthcare workers who indicate positive for symptoms of fever, cough or flu-like symptoms will be directed to call the local Ascension Associate Health Department and their employer and/or healthcare provider as applicable. Associate Health will discuss your symptoms.

Based upon the findings you may be directed to: (1) Remain off of work for up to 14 days with self monitoring; (2) Return to work with self monitoring; (3) Return to work with no monitoring.

For off-site practice locations (eg. Ascension Medical Group practice sites) the practice manager or supervisor should ensure that all practice associates are free of fever, cough and difficulty breathing. If any practice associate screens positive for one of these screening criteria, they should follow directions as outlined above.

All visitors will be screened upon entry into the facility. No visitors under the age of 18 Screening questions will include: Do you have a fever? Do you have a cough? Do you have difficulty breathing? If the answer to any of these is "yes", the visitor will be not be allowed to enter our facility

We encourage any potential visitors to use alternate methods of communication to stay in contact with loved ones, such as calling, video chatting, or texting. Thank you for your support in adhering to these guidelines, and thank you for trusting Ascension Saint Thomas for your care.

TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center (Smyrna, TN):TriStar StoneCrest currently has a 'No Visitation' policy in effect.

There are a few exceptions and allowances to the policy, including:

Pediatric Patients: 1 parent or caregiver OB Patients: 1 birthing or care partner Outpatient Surgery or Outpatient Testing: 1 caregiver Further exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis.

Greeters will be screening at the designated entrances with a list of basic questions to help ensure that individuals who might spread the virus get the care they need while not exposing patients, staff and other guests.

During this time, visitors may want to consider alternative communication options, if available, such as phone, FaceTime, text or email.

Thank you for your help in maintaining a safe environment for our patients, colleagues and community.

The rest is here:

Hospital Related Policy Changes due to COVID-19 (Rutherford County and Ascension Saint Thomas Facilities) - Wgnsradio

Posted: Mar 22, 2020 / 05:40 PM UTC / Updated: Mar 22, 2020 / 05:40 PM UTC

Ascension Lourdes and UHS Continue to Stress Virtual Walk-Ins for COVID Screening

Due to a limited supply of personal protective equipment and tests for COVID-19, in order to best treat our patients, we are limiting testing to only those patients who are most critical.

Because of this, we ask patients to not use our Primary Care practices, walk-ins or Emergency Departments simply because they want to be tested.

If you feel you may be ill, the best first step is to utilize a virtual walk-in visit at https://ascension.org/onlinecare or https://nyuhs.zipnosis.com.

Patients will be screened and evaluated by a provider in the safety of their homes.

If you cannot utilize the virtual walk-in, patients may call their primary care offices for telephonic screening first.

Patients who do not receive a COVID 19 test will be evaluated with careful consideration to their needs and given a plan of care to best support their recovery.

We are taking these measures to ensure the safety of our patients and staff by limiting unnecessary exposure.

Continued here:

Ascension Lourdes and UHS Continue to stress virtual walk-ins for COVID-19 screenings - WIVT - NewsChannel 34

WARREN, Mich. (DETROIT Up News Info) In response to the community's generous outreach and in anticipation of serving an increasing number of coronavirus patients (COVID-19), beginning Wednesday, Ascension Southeast Michigan hospitals will have a donation site for protective gear staff open at their Corporate Services Building located at 28000 Dequindre in Warren.

The donation box is located at the entrance of the central building opposite Dequindre under the portico. Donations may be accepted Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. at 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. at 4 p.m.

%MINIFYHTML84c0a0125ee659becf36419a7f9eeb2011%%MINIFYHTML84c0a0125ee659becf36419a7f9eeb2012%

Supplies accepted for donation include:

The safety of our patients, care teams and the community is our top priority, as we all work to stoptransmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and care for all those in need. Michigan Ascension alwaysFollow the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the use of personal protective equipment. We are accepting donations from companies and community members as a precautionary measure for unpredictable circumstances as we work to contain theCOVID-19 spread.

2020 Up News Info Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Drive-Thru Donation Site Launches at Ascension Health Up News Info Detroit - Up News Info

MILWAUKEE COUNTY People having trouble getting a test for the coronavirus will soon have more places to do so. By next week new testing sites will be open to patients with a variety of symptoms.

Daryl Kirchen from St. Francis has wanted to get tested for the coronavirus for the past week.

"I think there's a lot of people in their 30s and 40s that will get sick that don't expect it," Kirchen said.

He doesn't have a fever but said he does have a severe cough, pressure in his chest, and shortness of breath. A person at his workplace also tested positive.

However, when Kirchen called both his health care provider and others in the area, he said they wouldn't approve him to be tested.

"Basically said that testing isn't available for my group," Kirchen said.

Right now, coronavirus testing is available at various health care providers, each with their specifications but all requiring a phone or virtual screening ahead of time.

The only drive-thru testing site currently up and running is at Froedtert South's Pleasant Prairie Clinic, with more expected to open in the next week at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Thursday, TMJ4 News also learned Ascension Medical Group would open multiple drive-thru testing spots early next week, including in West Allis, Franklin, and Milwaukee.

Medical Director Dr. Patricia Golden said as they treat more critical patients at their hospitals, they're designating these new drive-thru sites to those with milder symptoms and no fever.

"This is going to be the opportunity for us to do testing in you know more of the general population and help with the epidemiology of understanding this virus," Dr. Golden said.

She said the samples from critical patients are getting sent to the state and city labs for testing. They don't want to overburden those workers and will be sending the samples from the patients with milder symptoms to commercial labs.

By separating patients with different symptoms, Dr. Golden hopes to avoid cross-contamination.

"These are the patients really truly, we want to know that they're positive, but we also want to help recommend the social distancing as well as the quarantining at home while they test positive, and avoid being the spread of this into the general population," Dr. Golden said.

This is precisely what Kirchen hopes to do.

"I think that you know the key to fixing this is figuring out how to treat people earlier," Kirchen said.

Anyone who is an Ascension patient and wants to get tested first has to get screened by a nurse by either calling Ascension's coronavirus hotline at (833) 981-0711 or virtually using Ascension Online Care.

If you're not an Ascension patient, you can also get tested by calling Ascension's coronavirus hotline.

The nurse who screens you will then decide whether testing is warranted and whether you should be hospitalized or get tested at one of the drive-thru sites.

The first Ascension drive-thru testing sites in Southeastern Wisconsin will be located at the following places:

The three locations are expected to open next week. The opening date and times are still in the works.

Later on, Ascension drive-thru testing sites will also be at the following places:

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Ascension to open drive-thru coronavirus testing sites for people with milder symptoms - WTMJ-TV

One Medical is bringing its modernized, membership-based primary care model to Austin, and will partner with Ascension Texas to facilitate more seamless access and coordinated care across primary care and specialty care services.

One Medical's consumer-driven primary care platform combines seamless digital health and inviting in-office care convenient to where people work, shop, live and click. One Medical plans to launch in Austin with new medical office locations and its digital health services over the next 12 months, and will clinically and digitally integrate with Ascension Texas providers and sites of care in the community. Through this partnership, the two organizations aim to achieve greater care coordination between primary and specialty care settings, advance an exceptional experience for consumers and employers, and reduce administrative burdens and costs. Austin will be One Medical's 13th metropolitan market, following its anticipated entry into Atlanta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and Orange County, California in 2020.

"We greatly look forward to expanding to Austin in collaboration with Ascension Texas. Together, we will deliver streamlined access and a heightened experience across primary and specialty care settings, furthering our vision to delight our members with better health, better care, and lower costs," said John Singerling, Chief Network Officer of One Medical."

"As Ascension Texas primary care providers continue to serve the rapidly growing needs of the expanding Austin market, both in person and through virtual care, we look forward to welcoming One Medical providers to further care for the community," said Samson Jesudass, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Texas. "Through this collaboration, our specialists will work with primary care providers to offer seamless specialty care and services to those we together are privileged to serve."

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One Medical and Ascension Texas to Collaborate - Patch.com

ASCENSION PARISH - Parish officials are taking the lead in living in accord with health and safety guidelines set out by the federal government.

Along those lines, beginning Friday, March 20, the 23rd Judicial District Court and Ascension Parish Court along with the Ascension, Assumption, and St. James Clerks of Courts will be open on a limited basis.

Their new hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

This limited schedule will end Thursday, April 2.

The Court will continue to hear emergency and/or time-sensitive matters in criminal and civil cases as determined by each judicial division.

Anyone with questions regarding a case or court appearance should contact the appropriate judge's office.

Their office numbers are listed below:

Judge Verdigets of Division A, Judge Turner of Division E, Judge Stromberg of Division C, Judge Lanoux of Parish Court, and Hearing Officer Pat Douglas:

(225) 621-8500

Judge Kliebert of Division B:

(225) 562-2280

Judge St. Pierre (Ad Hoc) of Division D

(985) 369-8001

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Ascension, Assumption, St. James, and 23rd Judicial District Courts to function on limited schedule - WBRZ

ASCENSION- A distillery in Ascension Parish recognized the demand for sanitizer and the materials around them that could be used to make the product.

Now they are producing it and giving it away to customers and nonprofit organizations for free.

Sugarfield Spirits, which normally produces adult beverages, has switched gears to make another alcohol-based product that consumers like Ed McCloud can't wait to get their hands on.

"We've been looking for hand sanitizer all over the city of course and nobody has it," says McCloud.

Thursday, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau lifted its federal restrictions, allowing distilleries like Sugarfield Spirits to turn their alcohol into hand sanitizer.

"Everybody is really scared right now. There's a lot going on. Anything a business can do, we're going to do," Owner Andrew Soltau says.

Since the outbreak of coronavirus spread in Louisiana, Soltau saw an opportunity to fill a void.

Soltau has already made several gallons of hand sanitizer to hand out to those in need.

"We donated everything that we had to a local daycare that was in need.They were completely out so we gave them all that we had," says Soltau.

Sugarfield Spirits is still in the liquor business, but they say they will be doing their part to help in this time of need.

They hope to hand out a new batch of hand sanitizer to the general public and nonprofit groups as early as Friday.

Original post:

Ascension distillery uses alcohol to create sanitizer; giving it to those in need - WBRZ

GONZALES - At Ascension Oaks Nursing and Rehab Center, Cecil Vaughn is recovering from a stroke. For the many months he's been there, family visits have been a constant.

"My mom is here every day and she spends most of the days with him," Cecil's daughter Becky Smith said. "Then his family, his children, myself, my brother, his sisters, his mom, brothers-in-law, other family members are in and out every day, almost every day."

That big family is used to spending a lot of time together.

"Lots of hugs and touches and kisses," Smith said. "So this is really, really difficult for us."

Since last week, however, Cecil's family hasn't been able to visit him after new restrictions at nursing homes and assisted living facilities went into effect. Technology has helped keep them in touch.

"We've been seeing him through FaceTime and through the window," Smith said. "That's just the best we can do right now."

But not being able to physically visit the man they call 'Poppie' didn't stop his family from celebrating his 67th birthday Friday.

"It was no second thought about it," Smith said. "Even though there's a window between us, we had to celebrate his birthday and let him know we love him just as much if he's on this side of the glass or the other."

The party was complete with balloons, streamers, party hats, and even cake.

"He liked his cake so much he didn't want to share," Smith said. "He didn't want to share his cake, but he had a great day today. It was a great day."

Even though no one in Cecil's family could have predicted this was how they'd have to celebrate their patriarch, the party proved one thing.

"There's no social distancing that can stop the love of family," Smith said. "Love can go through windows and I believe that."

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Amid COVID-19 outbreak, Ascension Parish family holds birthday party for loved one in nursing home - WBRZ

Health care systems across central Wisconsin need help dealing with shortages of personal protective equipment and loose-fitting surgical masks as they combat a global pandemic.

Marshfield Clinic Health System and Aspirus facilities are accepting handmade surgical masks to help during the COVID-19 outbreak, the official name for the new coronavirus. Ascension Wisconsin is not accepting handmade masks.

All three healthcare systems are accepting donations of much-needed N95 masks, those tight-fitting masks that filter out 95% of small and large airborne particles, and other medical supplies.

Handmade masks can't replace the N95 masks or disposable surgical masksbecause their material can varyand are not rated for medical use by the FDA, but they will play a role as hospitals run out of masks and need ways to control the spread of the virus from patients.

The main benefactors of these masks will be patients with the coronavirus to help control the disease's spread when they're outside of quarantine or in the vicinity of uninfected people.For some health care workers across the country, using these handmade masks will be an absolute last resort and should be paired with some sort of face shield, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here's how to donate and what standards to follow for handmade masks.

The do-it-yourself nature of handmade masks leaves a lot of potential variability in materials, sewing and quality and so JOANN fabrics created a program last Fridayto give away free fabric, elastic and other materialsso people can make facemasks.

Marshfield Clinic is also providing guidance on how to make masks through instructions created by the Turban Project, aministry created by the women of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly #0830 in Ohio.

Andrew Krauss, an Aspirus spokesman, said people can donate handmade masks at the loading dock of any Aspirus hospital. He said to label such donations as "Donation: handmade masks."

Krauss said Aspirus facilities have enough supplies for now but the situation is fluid, and the health system continues to seek donations and find avenues to acquire more supplies.

"We have a great supply chain at Aspirus and continue to find new avenues for supplies such as (personal protective equipment). However, we are aware that this is a marathon and we continue to prepare for the long-haul," Krauss said in an email. "Were in a good spot for now, but this is a very fluid situation and we are monitoring our supplies very closely."

Marshfield Clinic over the weekend sent out a call for volunteers to donate sewn masks.

Teri Wilczek, the chief philanthropy officer for the clinic, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the clinic should be getting thousands of masks through its various drop-off spots from teachers, church groups, clubs and families.

The handmade masks at the clinic will be used by patients and family members at the clinic's facilities because they're not surgical masks. The clinic plans to wash and use them a second time.

"Sewn masks will help alleviate the shortage and will be distributed to patients to help provide a protective barrier, so that medical-grade N95 masks may be conserved for our health care providers," Marshfield Clinic wrote on its Facebook page.

RELATED: People are making DIY masks to fight coronavirus. But do they actually work?

RELATED: Wisconsin hospitals are short on on medical masks, so church groups, a flag factory and others are making them

Volunteers can reach Melissa Darr, who works in volunteer services at the Marshfield Medical Center, at darr.melissa@marshfieldclinic.org or at 715-387-7198. The clinic is updating its request for donations daily on its Facebook page.

Donation locationsfor Marshfield Clinic are:

Ascension will not accept handmade masksbut is taking donations of other medical supplies:

Contact Ascension Wisconsins Foundation partners at AscensionWIFoundations@ascension.org to make a donation. The foundation will arrange to pick up and deliver the donation to an Ascension facility. Ascension asks people to not drop off donations at a hospital.

"At this time, Ascension Wisconsin cannot accept donations that are handmade (ex: sewn face masks) and is working with local and state health officials to determine if such items could be an option in the future," according to a statement from Ascension.

Contact reporter Alan Hovorka at 715-345-2252 or ahovorka@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ajhovorka.

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Coronavirus handmade masks: What hospitals are accepting them? - Stevens Point Journal

Ascension Via Christi is taking further steps to prevent COVID-19 at their hospitals.

They have asked volunteers not to report for their shifts and to stay home until further notice. Additionally, Hospital-based health education classes, support groups and tours have been suspended.

On-site hiring events at the hospital have been suspended and all interviews will be conducted by telephone rather than in person. Changes are also being made to the hospital cafeterias.

Buffets, salad bars, condiments and salad dressings have been replaced with pre-packaged items. The utensil dispensers are also being replaced with no-touch systems.

Those patients with non-emergency, but urgent care needs are asked to consider using the virtual visit system through Ascension Online Care. The cost has been reduced to $20 through the month of March by usingthe code HOME.

Last week, Ascension Via Christi revised its visitor guidelines and began cancelling or postponing previously scheduled non-essential travel, meetings and large group activities, such as its Wichita Medical Mission at Home, an annual day of free healthcare scheduled for April 18.

Working with local and state public health officials, we are trying to limit the number of people in the hospital to further reduce patients, visitors and associates risk for exposure, said Sam Antonios, MD, chief medical officer for Ascension Via Christi hospitals in a news release to the media.

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Ascension Via Christi taking further steps to prevent COVID-19 - KFDI

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) Ascension St. Vincent announced Sunday evening that it will cancel all non-urgent surgeries to ensure the hospital's resources for emergent health needs.

"As cases of COVID-19 increase, Ascension St. Vincent continues to diligently monitor the situation to ensure we are protecting our patients, employees and communities," St. Vincent said in a press release. "The following guidance was provided to our clinicians to assist in helping to manage their existing patients, protect against potential COVID-19 exposure and ensure the availability of resources to meet emergent health needs."

Starting Tuesday, March 17, all elective non-urgent surgeries will be canceled at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital Indianapolis.

Ascension St. Vincent says it is following the guidance of the CDC, Surgeon General, and American College of Surgeons which have recommended limiting elective services.

Examples of qualifying procedures include non-critical cardiac or neurosurgical procedures where deferral of care will not present risk of patient harm.

Examples of qualifying procedures include:

For patients having an outpatient procedure, the visitor will be allowed to stay with the patient until discharge.

Children 17 and younger will be permitted to have one parent or guardian stay with them post procedure.

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St. Vincent Indianapolis to cancel all 'elective non-urgent' surgeries - WTHR

GONZALES A Prairieville man has been sentenced to eight years in prison but avoided being additionally charged as a habitual offender after he pleaded guilty to a string of car wash burglaries in Ascension Parish.

Prosecutors in Ascension say Gene McCauley, 41, cut through the roofs of the Sail Away Car Wash in Prairieville and the Galvez Carwash in Galvez six times in the first half of 2018 to steal the coins and cash inside the washes' storage rooms.

PRAIRIEVILLE Ascension Parish sheriff's deputies have arrested a Prairieville man they say they found using an electric grinder in the early

Ascension sheriff's deputies say they caught McCauley while he was on the roof of the Galvez Carwash about 5 a.m. May 31, 2018, after being called out the operation on La. 42 by a burglar alarm.

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Before McCauley emerged on the roof, deputies said at the time that they could hear a grinder whining away inside the car wash storage room as he tried to break open a coin box.

In a plea deal, McCauley, 37225 Charlotte Ave., pleaded guilty to six counts of simple burglary in connection with the car wash break-ins.

Assistant District AttorneyPhil Maples also agreed to drop 12 other counts of theft and criminal damage to property, court filings show.

Twenty-third Judicial District Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr. accepted McCauley's guilty plea and handed down the sentence Monday.

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Ascension car wash burglar who cut through roofs, cracked open cash boxes gets 8 years - The Advocate