We visited today with Jill Shipp, Vice President of Marketing and a registered nurse to dive into greater detail on the ways that HHER is treating incoming patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
“It is important for me to be able to relate to our patients because very few outpatient medical facilities are intent on treating you for COVID-19, with their focus primarily on testing you. Once they test you, they send you home with a script and your medical care concludes. Thanks to our team at HHER and our patient centric mentality, we have several avenues of care that we recommend to all of our patients depending on their individual scenario. Additionally, we have relationships with local hospitals and specific physicians providing excellent COVID-19 care.
With the volume of COVID-19 patients that we’ve seen, our physicians & medical staff have methodically established a set of medications and plans of care applicable to various patient histories & symptom levels.
Our goal during this pandemic is to deliver unique care plans for all COVID-19 patients that entrust us with their medical needs. It is important that community members in Tyler, Longview, & Galveston understand that HHER is doing more than just testing and writing prescriptions, that people can actually receive treatment on an outpatient basis. Of course, with our HHER trademark heightened level of care!
Recent Media Coverage
Our team is pleased to have provided care for a local reporter, who shared her personal story of infection and recovery in the Longview News Journal. In her article, I know firsthand the importance of COVID-19 safety, Kristen Barton provides precise insights on her condition and treatment, including her own mother’s account of illness recovery.
COVID-19 Treatment Quote
“So let’s go though the patient perspective, as that’s the lens I think through, detailing exactly the level of care I expect for my loved ones. When patients come into HHER with COVID-19 symptoms, we start with a series of tests, including a rapid 30 minute COVID-19 test (much faster than an external send-out lab test). Before other lab work has been fully analyzed, our expedited team based care commences. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait to initialize treatment on all these labs. If a patient is presenting chest symptoms, many times they will come back COVID-19 negative, still we’re ready to combat COVID-19 directly in these instances where the test & symptoms don’t match. In the negative test cases with heavy presenting symptom scenarios we provide a systematic care set including supplements & medication, less than a full positive case, but very effective in reducing the severity and duration of COVID! We monitor the headaches and other symptoms and provide follow-up daily check-ins even after a patient has left our facility.”
Specifics of How We Treat COVID-19
“HHER is especially sensitive to patients with cardiac difficulties, so we have a developed an alternative treatment set for these patients that is sensitive to their heart history. We’re aware how vital the patient’s immune system is to overall treatment outcomes . Our experience has shown that targeted supplement treatments reduce overall bodily inflammation, leading to greater overall virus defense. Additionally, our continual diagnostic process also involves multiple radiology scans. We collaborate with ID regularly and also coordinate the use of Remdesivir and Convalescent plasma for treatment resistant patients who come in too late in the course of an advanced illness or in whom fail our front line treatment protocols.
Our Community Commitment
HHER has created a custom, cleanable and reusable mask with a filter pocket that all of our staff utilizes. The pattern & instructions are posted on our FB page and YouTube channel. Our team has partnered with a manufacturer in Dallas to make hundreds of masks for distribution to essential businesses struggling to provide protective supplies. This includes pharmacies, grocery stores, drive-through restaurants, law enforcement and more. HHER is providing these vital supplies as a service to our patients & community.
HHER is providing regular updates and information about COVID-19 testing and treatment on our website to help the public stay informed. HHER is posting educational videos like proper hand washing and ways to boost immune systems on our social media platforms. Furthermore, we are staying up to date on any legislative changes that could impact our communities and patients related to COVID-19 and insurance coverage. Any changes we are communicating in a simple manner that everyone can understand. HHER’s owners and Medical team are communicating with Disaster preparedness teams, local officials and the Texas Department of Health on regular briefings. Our medical teams research new information related to the virus, testing, and treatments.
Finally, our policies are updated regularly and we continually educate our staff to offer the safest care to our patients. HHER has set up separate quarters to offer comprehensive care to anyone suspected of having COVID-19 without risking our employees or other patients health. This protocol has been in practice since February 2020.
