Credit St. Claire HealthCare
St. Claire HealthCare’s (SCH) limited allocation of COVID-19 vaccines was quickly depleted Thursday as the health system began its first community vaccinations.
“Members of the community were lined up starting at 5:30 AM waiting to get in the door,” said Donald H. Lloyd, II, SCH President/CEO.
“The community’s quick adoption of the vaccine is a welcome signal of hope in our fight against COVID-19.”
SCH announced late Wednesday that it would begin administering vaccines to residents of Bath, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Morgan, and Rowan Counties who were community healthcare workers, first responders, or anyone age 70 or above. There was so much demand for the vaccine the health system depleted its limited allocation within only five hours.
Credit St. Claire HealthCare
St. Claire Regional Medical Center welcomed the 1st baby, actually babies, of the New Year on January 1, 2021. Baby boy, Adrian Bernard Allen, Jr., and his twin sister Armani Briella were born to proud parents Rhianna Burns and Adrian Allen of Morehead.
Adrian Jr. arrived at 11:04 AM weighing 5 lbs 7 oz., and measuring 19 3/4 inches long. Armani arrived quickly after at 11:05 AM, at 5 lbs 15 oz, measuring 18 1/4 inches long.
The twins were delivered by Frank LaBarbara, MD, OB/GYN with UK Morehead Women’s Healthcare.
“We cannot say enough about how amazing the entire team was, especially dealing with our emergency c-section. Everything went so smooth and everyone acted very fast,” said Burns
St. Claire HealthCare is proud to welcome Michael DeLuca, RPh, BS, as Director of Pharmacy Services.
“I am excited to become a part of the St. Claire family. As a strongly spiritual person, I am very happy to further my career with a Catholic organization, serving a ministry that the Sisters of Notre Dame sponsored and are still a part of,” said DeLuca
. “After a quick tour, learning more about SCH, and meeting the pharmacy team, I knew I was all in and ready to accept the position.”
DeLuca set his sights on a career in pharmacy at an early age after admiring his father’s work as a pharmacist, research professor, and associate dean of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.
Credit St. Claire HealthCare
St. Claire HealthCare’s volunteer organization is donating the funds needed to purchase a LUCAS Chest Compression System, a device that provides continuous and safe chest compressions during CPR.
The LUCAS system is portable and can be used anywhere it is needed throughout the hospital, has been shown to improve CPR quality over long durations, improves efficiency when administering life-saving care, and keeps caregivers safe while avoiding exposure to any illness the patient may have.
“Having healthcare providers perform CPR can expose them to COVID-19, therefore they may fall ill themselves,” said Sarah Flynn, BSN, RN, SCH Nurse Manager of Emergency Services
Chief Medical Officer Will Melahn MD
Melahn added that he hopes the vaccine will be available for all tier-1 frontline staff by the first of the year. The remaining healthcare staff along with residents and staff of long-term care facilities most likely won’t have access to the vaccine until late January.
There is currently no timeline for when the vaccine will be available for the general public. Clinical leaders at SCH are closely monitoring any allocations being made to the state and are preparing to serve as a regional hub for the coronavirus vaccine.