Latest News


August 2, 2022 Uncategorized
For Immediate Release
8-2-2022
Glen Rose Medical Center Responds to Chalk Mountain Fire
On Monday July 18, 2022, Somervell County Fire Department received a call about a grass fire in the area of County Roads 1004 and 1005 and the Loco Coyote Restaurant area of Somervell County. News of the rapidly spreading wildfire and emergency evacuations were be announced publicly. The Somervell County Fire Department was immediately asking for mutual aid from nearby communities. The Somervell County Sheriff’s Office started requesting water, Gatorade, necessities for the first responders working the fire.
With news of the rapidly spreading wildfire, the team at Glen Rose Medical Center immediately went into Emergency Response Mode. The Safety Officer, CNO, and Assistant CNO and IC for emergency response immediately began to implement a plan for the first responders. With average daily temperatures over 100 degrees, the safety and hydration of the first responders was an enormous health concern.
The Emergency Management team in conjunction with Judge Danny Chambers, County Commissioner Jeff Harris and Fire Chief Brian Jones set up a location for what became known as the “The Hydration Station” at the Fire Base Camp Command Center at Loco Coyote Restaurant. The hydration station was up and running within a few hours of the initial fire call. GRMC staff manned the station 24 hours a day for 6 days. The Forestry Service arrived at Somervell County and took command of the fire at Chalk Mountain. After the fire was somewhat contained, the fire base camp was moved to Glen Rose High School Tiger Arena, and the “Hydration Station” was moved inside Tiger Arena. Services including IV’s, liquid IV, first aid, food, fresh socks and t-shirts were provided until it was demobilized on Friday, July 29. These services will continue for first responders at GRMC until they are no longer needed.
The Forestry Service commended GRMC on the services and hospital staff providing hydration to the first responders. They were impressed by the quick response to the needs of the firefighters by providing IV’s and hydration, stating that these types of services have never been provided to them in communities they have served in the past.
On behalf of Glen Rose Medical Center, we want to thank all the volunteer fire departments, the restaurants that provided food, the citizens that provided water, liquid IV, Gatorade, portable A/C units and every person that donated time, money, food, feed for animals, and livestock transportation, those who provided families a cool place to stay and any others we have overlooked. GRMC is proud to serve this community and extremely proud of how our community came together to respond.


April 19, 2022 Uncategorized
GRMC is happy to announce the arrival of the da Vinci robot!
Beginning May 1st, we will begin using the robot for certain robot assisted surgeries.
The addition of the robot will allow more surgeries in the areas of gynecology, urology and larger abdominal surgeries that have not been generally performed at GRMC. The robot allows doctors to be more precise in their movements, reducing the recovery time for patients.
The addition of the robot is an incredible tool for our hospital allowing us to recruit more physicians with the goal of reducing the need to travel for healthcare.
We are happy to have the opportunity to grow our surgery department to better serve the residents of Somervell and the surrounding counties.
We  have added new orthopedic surgery, cardiac rehab and pulmonary rehab and new ER physicians group that is covered by most major insurance companies.
We are looking forward to expanding healthcare services to serve our growing community.


January 27, 2022 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

January 26, 2022

Good evening!

My apologies for not giving an update sooner.  Thing have been quite busy over the last 3 weeks due to the surge of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant.  According to CDC and Texas data, almost 100% of current COVID cases are being caused by the Omicron variant.   The data shows that patients infected with this virus are, in general, less sick than with Delta, or other variants.  Obviously, it is still making some patients very sick, as hospitalizations continue to be elevated across all of Texas at this time.

As of 01/25/2022, Somervell County has experienced 1925 total known cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded a total of 31 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections and our current active case report is around 170-190 patients.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.61%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.38%.  Both of these numbers have started to drop due to the high volume of new cases, and relatively low number of fatalities due to Omicron.  Despite this, January 2022 is tied with August 2021 for the most fatalities in a single month for our county (5).  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.

Most of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, are occurring in unvaccinated individuals.  The data shows that 80% of hospitalizations, 90% of ICU/ventilator patients, and 98%+ of fatalities are occurring in unvaccinated patients.  Due to the increase contagiousness of the Omicron variant, more vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases.  In general though, these patients are not getting very ill, although there is an exception to every rule.  Data confirms that the length of time since being vaccinated is likely to increase the risk of infection.  This is the rationale for booster shot recommendations, and, it appears that higher antibody levels are correlated strongly with less breakthrough infections.  New research has shown that a booster protects patients from Omicron for at least 4 months after the booster.

Booster shots are widely available.  Anyone age 12 and up, is eligible for a booster shot 5 months after receiving their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or their first shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  Data is showing that changing vaccines can improve immunity, especially for patients who started out taking the J&J vaccine.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.  Please note that the state is no longer providing a count of “active” cases.  The number above, is a calculation that I am performing locally.

Hospitalizations are stabilizing statewide.  ICU beds continue to be filled at a higher rate than hospital beds in general.  About 1 out of every 4 COVID patients in the hospital is in a ICU bed.  Over 2,700 hospital ICU beds are currently caring for patient ill with COVID-19.  There is a total of 13,291 COVID-19 patients currently admitted to Texas hospitals.  1,551 Texans are currently on ventilators due to the severity of their COVID-19 infection.

Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 5 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments are no longer available locally.  For very high risk patients, sotrovimab is available in the metroplex, and your doctor should be able to help get you on the list if you qualify.  Other treatments, such as Paxlovid, remdesivir, and molnupiravir are also hard to find.  They should be reserved for our highest risk patients, especially those high risk patients who are not vaccinated.

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are still the best ways to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

Data continues to suggest that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term.  Unfortunately, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Many patients have no detectable antibodies as soon as 4-5 months after infection.  At a year out from infection, as few as 15% of patients have detectable antibody levels.  Disease survivors can still get vaccinated, and in fact, it is recommended.  Patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, have the strongest immunity, according to the most current data that I have seen.

Some things haven’t changed….to help protect our community, if you are ill, please do not go to work/school/out to shop.  Parents, please do not send your children to school when they are sick.

Masks are not perfect, but if you are ill and must go out, wearing a mask will help decrease the chance that you could infect someone else in you community or household.  N-95 or KN95 masks are preferred, with disposable surgical masks next in line.  Cloth masks/gaiters are the least effective, but still are better than nothing.

The good news, is that the Omicron variant may have peaked already, both in Somervell County and in Texas.  Compared to this time last week, active cases seem to have dropped by about 22.5% in our county.  I hope that this trend will continue.

Stay safe, and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority



January 17, 2022 Uncategorized

In light of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, please keep in mind that our emergency rooms (ERs) and urgent care centers are for those needing higher levels of care. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us ensure our facilities are ready for those who need care most during this time.

If you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms, please contact your primary care physician for available testing in a clinical setting.

If a member of your household, friend or loved one has tested positive for Covid and you have had direct contact with them and are experiencing Covid-like symptoms assume you are also positive for Covid.  Please follow CDC guidelines for quarantine.  Please seek medical attention if you become seriously ill, have difficulty breathing or condition has worsened.

We urge the community to help us and each other by getting vaccinated, getting boosted, distancing and wearing a mask.



January 6, 2022 Uncategorized

January 3, 2022

For Immediate Release:

Concord Medical Group is extremely excited to begin its partnership with Glen Rose Medical Center (GRMC) to provide Emergency Department care for their facility in Glen Rose, TX. The partnership with Concord, which began on December 1, 2021, ensures 24-hour Emergency Department coverage for patients in Somervell County and the surrounding areas.

Concord’s ED partnership with GRMC brings new, highly qualified, emergency physicians to Glen Rose to continue Concord’s proven track record of exceptional patient care. The emergency providers have been thoroughly vetted and understand the needs of the community around Glen Rose. These physicians also place the highest degree of importance on the courteous and professional treatment of patients.

In addition to the highest level of patient service, patients will have a better billing experience as Concord honors balance billing laws and the No Surprises Act to ensure patients will not receive requests for high out of pocket payments beyond allowable amounts as determined by any applicable deductibles and co-pays.  Patients who have questions about their bill or service will have a direct line to a Concord representative and are encouraged to reach out to ensure that their experience at GRMC is exceptional.

Customer Service Driven Medical Care is at the heart of Concord’s foundation as a practice group. We believe that thorough, clear, accurate, and kind communication is essential.  Concord brings the feel of hospitality to healthcare without sacrificing efficiency. From the beginning, our collaborative success starts simply by treating people right.

Concord Medical Group is a physician-owned and operated organization. Since its inception in 2001, Concord continues to be a leader in quality emergency department provider management.

Quote:

“We’re extremely excited to partner with Glen Rose Medical Center. Concord has always strived to provide the highest quality of care possible to the communities that we serve. Glen Rose Medical Center’s commitment to increasing patient satisfaction fits perfectly with our mission and vision for the community in and around Glen Rose.” 

  – Kyle Sheets, MD, Founder and CEO



December 28, 2021 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

December 27, 2021

For Immediate release.

There is now ample evidence that the only monoclonal antibody infusion with activity against the Omicron variant is sotrovimab.  At Glen Rose Medical Center, we do not have this infusion available.  The federal and state governments have asked for a pause on the usage of the Regen-Cov2 monoclonal antibody infusion, as well as the bamlanivimad/etesivimab monoclonal antibody infusion.

When sotrovimab is available locally, we will announce it, but there is a very limited supply nationally.  I am not optimistic that we will get any in the near future.  It is being given in the metroplex, but they are inundated with requests, and have now paused that infusion as well.  It appears demand is far out pacing supply.

We will try to keep you informed as information is changing rapidly.

Thank you for your time,

Dr. Steven J. Vacek MD



December 22, 2021 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

December 22, 2021

Merry Christmas!

 

Time for an update.

We are very rapidly moving into a wintertime COVID-19 surge fueled by the emergence of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  Last week, the percentage of new cases in the US attributed to Omicron jumped from 12% to 73% in just a week, after being just 3% the previous week.  This is incredibly rapid growth, but fits with the pattern seen in South Africa, where this variant was first discovered.  Here in Texas, Omicron has been seen in the Houston metro area, and I am certain it is elsewhere in the state by now.  The first fatality attributed to Omicron in the country occurred in the Houston area this week.  It is too early to know for sure, but the experience with this version of COVID-19 suggests it is less likely to cause hospitalization or death than previous variants.

As of 12/22/2021, Somervell County has experienced 1547 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded a total of 26 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections and our current active case report is up to 31 patients.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.68%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.67%.  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.  In Texas, 117 children have died from COVID-19 infections, 14 under age 1 year old, 23 between ages 1-9, and 80 between ages 10-19.  In Somervell County, our current active case load is 29.  We have been on a gradual increase during the last 2 weeks, but not as aggressive of an increase as the state is currently experiencing.

Most of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, are occurring in unvaccinated individuals.  Due to the increase contagiousness of the Omicron variant, more vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases.  Data suggests that the length of time since being vaccinated is likely to increase the risk of infection.  This is the rationale for booster shot recommendations, and.  It appears that higher antibody levels are correlated strongly with less breakthrough infections.

Booster shots are widely available.  Anyone older than 16 years old is eligible for a booster shot 6 months after receiving their second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or their first shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.  Data is showing that changing vaccines can improve immunity, especially for patients who started out taking the J&J vaccine.  Currently there is no recommendation for booster shots under the age of 16.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.

Hospitalizations are very slowly increasing statewide.  ICU beds continue to be filled at a higher rate than hospital beds in general.  About 1 out of every 3 COVID patients in the hospital is in a ICU bed.  Over 1,000 hospital ICU beds are currently caring for patient ill with COVID-19.

CDC recommendations for vaccinated individuals are that they should wear masks indoors.  If you are a person with significant risk factor for serious COVID-19 disease, this is still prudent advice.  However, based upon risk, it might be more important for vaccinated individuals to mask up in high-risk indoor settings, such as a poorly ventilated room, and/or a large crowd relative to room size.  Outdoors, masking is not recommended.  For unvaccinated individuals, masks are recommended in all indoor settings.

Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 5 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments continue to be widely available.  Data specific to the Omicron variant is not yet available, but early data suggest that the Mab treatments will continue to be helpful in decreasing hospitalization or death rates for high-risk individuals.

At Glen Rose Medical Center, there is a steady supply of monoclonal antibody infusions being administered.  If you contract COVID-19, and are interested in this treatment option, please contact your doctor’s office.  People who meet the CDC definition of high risk (65+, obese, diabetes, hypertension, etc), can use monoclonal antibody treatment for prevention of infection.  These patients need to bring proof of infection for the person that they were exposed to (with that person’s permission of course).

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are the best bet to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

GRISD currently is off for Christmas break.  Prior to semester break starting there were a handful of cases noted.

Texas DSHS recommendations include exclusion from school or work while ill with COVID-19.  Really, this is prudent behavior for anyone with a respiratory illness.  Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The readmission criteria for COVID-19 is as follows:

If symptomatic, exclude until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved. Children who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms must stay home until at least 10 days after the day they were tested.

*Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.

Texas DSHS recommendations for close contacts of known COVID-19 cases are as follows:

Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19

Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

And if possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

There are alternative recommendations that might be less optimal with a more transmissible or more severe strain of COVID-19, especially during high levels of community transmission.  This could include return to school or work on day 7 or 8, if asymptomatic, and a negative PCR or NAAT test performed after post exposure day 5.

Please do not send your children to school if they are sick.  This is sound advice for many infections, not just COVID-19.

Generally, I am an optimistic person.  Good data is still hard to get.  I am optimistic that we might be getting closer to herd immunity, as the combination of vaccinated individuals, and survivors of the disease, continues to grow as a percentage of the population.  Unfortunately, only time will tell for sure.

Data continues to suggest that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term.  Unfortunately, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Many patients have no detectable antibodies as soon as 4-5 months after infection.  At a year out from infection, as few as 15% of patients have detectable antibody levels.  Disease survivors can still get vaccinated, and in fact, it is recommended.  Patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, have the strongest immunity, according to the most current data that I have seen.

Stay safe and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority



October 29, 2021 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

October 29, 2021

Happy Halloween!

As of 10/29/2021, Somervell County has experienced 1497 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded a total of 21 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.40%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.66%.  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.  In Texas,  101 children have died from COVID-19 infections, 13 under age 1 year old, 18 between ages 1-9, and 70 between ages 10-19.  In Somervell County, our current active case load is 40.  We have been on a gradual increase during the last 2 weeks, even though state-wide cases are continuing to drop.  The rate of decline in Texas has slowed considerably.

Current infections continue to be attributed to the presence of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.  This is based upon testing done at reference labs that collect specimens from across the state.  There has been no identification of a new variant of any significance in Texas.  Nationwide, there are no new variants of concern that have been identified either.   Most of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, continue to be in unvaccinated individuals.  Vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases, with some data suggesting that the length of time since being vaccinated is likely to increase the risk of infection.  This is the rationale for current booster shot recommendations.

Booster shots are widely available.  Patients are being offered the option of staying within the vaccine they started, or possible “cross boostering” with one of the other vaccine options.  In my opinion, the published data does not suggest that there is a definite advantage to one option over the other in effectiveness or safety.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.

Hospitalizations are decreasing statewide.  ICU beds continue to be filled at a higher rate than hospital beds in general, but ICU capacity is much better in the last two weeks.

CDC recommendations for vaccinated individuals are that they should mask up indoors.  However, based upon risk, it might be more important for vaccinated individuals to mask up in high risk indoor settings, such as a poorly ventilated room, and/or a large crowd relative to room size.  Outdoors, masking is not recommended for vaccinated people.  For unvaccinated individuals, masks are recommended in all indoor settings.  Out of doors, masks are not needed, except possibly, at an event where people may be standing shoulder to shoulder.  The delta variant appears to be substantially more contagious than other variants, or the original version of the virus.  This contagiousness accounts for the increase in breakthrough infections, the rapidity of the current spread, and therefore the change in recommendations by the CDC.  Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 12 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments continue to be made available to patients free of charge for the medicine.  There may be a charge to your insurance for administering the medication.  At Glen Rose Medical Center, there is a steady supply of monoclonal antibody infusions being administered.  If you contract COVID-19, and are interested in this treatment option, please contact your doctor’s office.  People who meet the CDC definition of high risk (65+, obese, diabetes, hypertension, etc), can use monoclonal antibody treatment for prevention of infection.  These patients need to bring proof of infection for the person that they were exposed to (with that person’s permission of course).

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are the best bet to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

GRISD currently has no active cases of COVID-19 in either students or staff!  There have been 128 total cases in students and 17 total cases in staff.

Texas DSHS recommendations include exclusion from school or work while ill with COVID-19.

A school administrator shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having COVID-19. Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The readmission criteria for COVID-19 is as follows:

If symptomatic, exclude until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved. Children who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms must stay home until at least 10 days after the day they were tested.

*Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.

Texas DSHS recommendations for close contacts of known COVID-19 cases are as follows:

Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19

Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

And if possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

There are alternative recommendations that might be less optimal with a more transmissible or more severe strain of COVID-19, especially during high levels of community transmission.  This could include return to school or work on day 7 or 8, if asymptomatic, and a negative PCR test performed after post exposure day 5.

Please do not send your children to school if they are sick.  This is sound advice for many infections, not just COVID-19.

Generally, I am an optimistic person.  Good data is still hard to get.  I am optimistic that we might be getting closer to herd immunity, as the combination of vaccinated individuals, and survivors of the disease, continues to grow as a percentage of the population.  Unfortunately, only time will tell for sure.

While data suggests that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Disease survivors can still get vaccinated.  Patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, have the best immunity possible according to current knowledge.

Stay safe, and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority



October 6, 2021 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

October 5, 2021

As of 10/05/2021, Somervell County has experienced 1416 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded 6 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 2 months, for a total of 21 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.48%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.59%.  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.  In Texas, 88 children have died from COVID-19 infections, 12 under age 1 year old, 17 between ages 1-9, and 59 between ages 10-19.  In Somervell County, our current active case load is 24.  We have been on a plateau for the better part of the last 5 weeks, even though state-wide cases are dropping rapidly.

Current infections continue to be attributed to the presence of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.  Based upon genetic analysis of positive test results, at least 98% of current COVID-19 cases continue to be due to the Delta variant.  That percentage is consistent at the local, state, and federal levels.   The vast majority (at least 80% in most analyses) of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, are in unvaccinated individuals.  Vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases, with some data suggesting that the length of time since being vaccinated may be having some impact on the risk of infection.

Booster shots still offer some controversy.  The FDA and the CDC are allowing Pfizer and Moderna boosters for immune compromised individuals, or patients on immunosuppressant medications.  For other high risk individuals, Pfizer is authorized for a booster dose, but Moderna is not yet authorized/approved.  It is expected that the FDA will rule on the Moderna booster soon, and it will probably be a ½ dose as compared to the full dose Pfizer booster.  Johnson & Johnson has recently applied for authorization to give a booster as well.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.

Hospitalizations have steadily decreased statewide in the last 4 weeks.  ICU beds continue to be filled at a higher rate than hospital beds in general.  Most hospitals/systems have been postponing elective surgery cases to improve bed availability for ill patients, however as cases drop, expect elective surgeries to be restarted.  In Trauma Service Area E (TSA-E), that we belong in, there are only 60 available ICU beds for a population greater than 8,000,000 people (as of about 4 pm on 10/05/2021).  Many critically ill patients continue to be cared for in hospitals that would not normally care for these types of patients.  The inability of smaller hospitals to get patients transferred to larger hospitals with more capacity and capabilities is still a problem statewide.  It does seem to slowly be getting better though.

CDC recommendations for vaccinated individuals are that they should mask up indoors.  However, based upon risk, it might be more important for vaccinated individuals to mask up in high risk indoor settings, such as a poorly ventilated room, and/or a large crowd relative to room size.  Outdoors, masking is not recommended for vaccinated people.  For unvaccinated individuals, masks are recommended in all indoor settings.  Out of doors, masks are not needed, except possibly, at an event where people may be standing shoulder to shoulder.  The delta variant appears to be substantially more contagious than other variants, or the original version of the virus.  This contagiousness accounts for the increase in breakthrough infections, the rapidity of the current spread, and therefore the change in recommendations by the CDC.  Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 12 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments continue to be made available to patients free of charge.  With the downturn in new infections, there is no shortage of these treatments locally.  At Glen Rose Medical Center, there is a steady supply of monoclonal antibody infusions being administered.  If you contract COVID-19, and are interested in this treatment option, please contact your doctor’s office.  People who meet the CDC definition of high risk (65+, obese, diabetes, hypertension, etc), can use monoclonal antibody treatment for prevention of infection.  These patients need to bring proof of infection for the person that they were exposed to (with that person’s permission of course).

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are the best bet to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

GRISD continues to have sporadic cases of COVID-19 throughout the district.  114 total cases in students, with 10 active.  14 total cases in staff with 5 current.

Texas DSHS recommendations include exclusion from school or work while ill with COVID-19.

A school administrator shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having COVID-19. Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The readmission criteria for COVID-19 is as follows:

If symptomatic, exclude until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved. Children who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms must stay home until at least 10 days after the day they were tested.

*Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.

Texas DSHS recommendations for close contacts of known COVID-19 cases are as follows:

Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19

Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

And if possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

There are alternative recommendations that might be less optimal with a more transmissible or more severe strain of COVID-19, especially during high levels of community transmission.  This could include return to school or work on day 7 or 8, if asymptomatic, and a negative PCR test performed after post exposure day 5.

Please do not send your children to school if they are sick.  This is sound advice for many infections, not just COVID-19.

Generally, I am an optimistic person.  Good data is very hard to get, and I do not have a crystal ball that works worth a darn.  It is possible though, that we might be getting closer to herd immunity, as the combination of vaccinated individuals, and survivors of the disease, might be getting close to, or exceeding 70% of the population locally.  Unfortunately, only time will tell for sure.

While data suggests that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Disease survivors can still get vaccinated.  Patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, have the best immunity possible according to current knowledge.

Stay safe, and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority



September 20, 2021 Uncategorized

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

September 20, 2021

As of 9/19/2021, Somervell County has experienced 1367 total cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.  Somervell County has recorded 5 deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 2 months, for a total of 20 deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections.  The case fatality rate in Somervell County is 1.46%.  Statewide case fatality is 1.56%.  The majority of deaths in Texas are above age 50.  In Texas, 79 children have died from COVID-19 infections, 11 under age 1 year old, 16 between ages 1-9, and 52 between ages 10-19.  Our current active case load is 23.  We have been on a plateau for the better part of the last 3 weeks.

Current infections continue to be attributed to the presence of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.  Based upon genetic analysis of positive test results, at least 98% of current COVID-19 cases are due to the Delta variant.  That percentage is consistent at the local, state, and federal levels.   The vast majority (at least 80% in most analyses) of the illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in the state and locally, are in unvaccinated individuals.  Vaccinated individuals are experiencing breakthrough cases, with some data suggesting that the length of time since being vaccinated may be having some impact on the risk of infection.  The data, however, is still far from being conclusive.  Late last week, the FDA recommended vaccine booster doses for high-risk individuals (>65 years old, plus other risk factors, health care workers) in addition to individuals on medication(s) that would suppress the immune system.  Currently there is no recommendation to give booster doses for lower risk individuals.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  This website will be the most consistent place to get information regarding local and statewide numbers.

Hospitalizations have slowly decreased statewide in the last 2 weeks.  ICU beds continue to be hard to find.  Most hospitals/systems have had to been postponing elective surgery cases to improve bed availability for ill patients.  This is likely to last for at least a couple more weeks.  In Trauma Service Area E (TSA-E), that we belong in, there are only 62 available ICU beds for a population greater than 8,000,000 people (as of about noon on 9/19/2021).  Many critically ill patients continue to be cared for in hospitals that would not normally care for these types of patients.  The inability of smaller hospitals to get patients transferred to larger hospitals with more capacity and capabilities is still a major problem statewide.  This is having a major impact on all patients, not just patients suffering from COVID-19 infections.

CDC recommendations for vaccinated individuals are that they should mask up indoors.  However, based upon risk, it might be more important for vaccinated individuals to mask up in high-risk indoor settings, such as a poorly ventilated room, and/or a large crowd relative to room size.  Outdoors, masking is not recommended for vaccinated people.  For unvaccinated individuals, masks are recommended in all indoor settings.  Out of doors, masks are not needed, except possibly, at an event where people may be standing shoulder to shoulder.  The delta variant appears to be substantially more contagious than other variants, or the original version of the virus.  This contagiousness accounts for the increase in breakthrough infections, the rapidity of the current spread, and therefore the change in recommendations by the CDC.  Patients continue to have a much higher risk of complications and/or death from the disease, compared to the risk of complications from the vaccines.  If you would like to get vaccinated, please start by calling your doctor’s office, or your pharmacy.  Vaccines are readily available at this time for anyone aged 12 and up.

Monoclonal antibody treatments continue to be made available to patients free of charge.  There has been a recent disruption in the supply chain for monoclonal antibody treatments.  Hopefully that will be resolved in the upcoming week.  At Glen Rose Medical Center, there is still a small supply that is being administered, and efforts are ongoing to secure more medication in the near future.  If you contract COVID-19, and are interested in this treatment option, please contact your doctor’s office.  People who meet the CDC definition of high risk (65+, obese, diabetes, hypertension, etc), can use monoclonal antibody treatment for prevention of infection.  These patients need to bring proof of infection for the person that they were exposed to (with that person’s permission of course).

If you choose to not be vaccinated, and have not had the disease, avoiding crowds/social distancing, especially indoors, good hand hygiene, and masking up are the best bet to avoid getting any version of the virus causing COVID-19.

School is in full swing, after an initial outbreak in the Junior High School, we have only had sporadic cases on the different campuses of GRISD.  One classroom in the Elementary school has been temporarily shut down as well.

Texas DSHS recommendations include exclusion from school or work while ill with COVID-19.              A school administrator shall exclude from attendance any child having or suspected of having COVID-19. Exclusion shall continue until the readmission criteria for the conditions are met. The readmission criteria for COVID-19 is as follows:

If symptomatic, exclude until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset, and fever free*, and other symptoms have improved. Children who test positive for COVID-19 but do not have any symptoms must stay home until at least 10 days after the day they were tested.

*Fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever suppressing medications. Fever is a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit (37.8° Celsius) or higher.

Texas DSHS recommendations for close contacts of known COVID-19 cases are as follows:

Stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19

Watch for fever (100.4◦F), cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19

And if possible, stay away from people you live with, especially people who are at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19

There are alternative recommendations that might be less optimal with a more transmissible or more severe strain of COVID-19, especially during high levels of community transmission.  This could include return to school or work on day 7 or 8, if asymptomatic, and a negative PCR test performed after post exposure day 5.

Please do not send your children to school if they are sick or exposed to COVID-19 positive individuals.  While our children are at low risk overall for complications from COVID-19, the Delta variant is causing more complications and hospitalizations than the original form of the virus, or other variants.  I am more concerned about who our children can transmit the virus to (whether they are symptomatic or asymptomatic), as the adults in their lives are more likely to suffer the consequences of COVID-19.

Also, please consider how you can help protect your family, neighbors, and community.  I hope that it doesn’t require any further tragic circumstances to spur us into action to take better care of each other.

In my opinion, the single best way to help stop people from getting critically ill, is for more people to get vaccinated.  Nothing else can compare to the combination of effectiveness and safety that the current vaccines offer.  There really is not a better or safer option available at this time.

While data suggests that immunity from surviving the disease is more effective than vaccination in the short term, there is no effective way of proving how long that immunity will last.  Disease survivors can get vaccinated, and indeed, patients who have had the disease, and subsequently get vaccinated, seem to have the best immunity of all.

Thank you!

Steven J Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority


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