Glen Rose Medical Center received 300 FIRST DOSE Covid vaccines. We will host the vaccine clinic at the Somervell County Expo Center today 3-2-2021.

This vaccine is for 1a ,1b groups, first come first served. Gates open at 8:00 a.m., vaccines start at 10:00 a.m.  Please bring a drivers license or picture ID.

* If you received the first dose in February 4th, 2021 you will receive a phone call for scheduled appointment on Thursday March 4th.

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

January 22, 2021

As of 5pm on 1/21/2021, Somervell county has 933 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and a current case load of 46 active cases.  We had a small spike in active cases two weeks ago, with daily active cases in the 60-70 range on average.  For the last ten days we have decreased our numbers to the 40-50 range.  Despite this good news, there is still work to be done.

The most current numbers are found at: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus then click on the button that says TEXAS CASE COUNTS.  Moving forward, this will be the best place to get information regarding local numbers.

There have been many questions about what the definitions of “confirmed” and “probable” cases are.  For an excellent discussion of this, the following link will lead to a video from Dr. Shuford, who is the Chief of Epidemiology for the State of Texas.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vatb7Q_KA8c&t=59s  Please give it a watch.  It is very clear and well done.

In our county, we have widespread viral activity in families, institutions, and work places.  Multiple studies have suggested that the virus has become more contagious in the last several months.  The sheer number of sick people continues to overwhelm the healthcare system.  Preventing illness continues to be the best way to help keep more people safe.  To give you an idea of why this is important, statewide there is 1 hospital bed per 476 residents.  For the DFW Trauma Service Area that we are part of, there is 1 bed for every 513 residents.  There are only about 60 available ICU beds in our TSA at this time for 8 million people.  That would be fine if it was only COVID, but patients with heart attacks, strokes, trauma, cancer, and many other illnesses continue to need those beds as well.

If you choose to go out, or need/have to go to work, please exercise responsibility and wear a mask, especially if you have any possible exposure to the virus.  It is very common that people are contagious for anywhere from 24-48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic.  During those hours is when wearing a mask truly helps to protect those around you.  If you are not feeling well, please stay home, especially if you think you might have had exposure to someone with the virus.  Mask wearing in our community continues to be low, especially given the continued elevation of cases of COVID-19.  I would ask and recommend that people return to more common usage of masks.

Statewide, levels of COVID-19 are still high, but appear to have reached a plateau. With flu season starting, now is not the time for people to get complacent.  We have seen a handful of influenza cases so far, and it is likely to get worse. Mask wearing and social distancing can help keep flu cases down as well as future COVID-19 cases.  Please do not let your guard down.  Do not let COVID fatigue overwhelm you.  We must do better to stay safe, and keep the others around us safe and healthy.

Vaccinations are starting to be available in surrounding areas and communities.  From what I have been able to learn, the allocations are typically smaller that the demand for the vaccine.  I am very hopeful that we will have vaccine available in Glen Rose the first week in February, but that has yet to be confirmed by the State of Texas.  I am sure it will not be a large enough amount to satisfy the demand, but we will make every effort to continue to secure more vaccine in the near future.  Please continue to be patient, and if you can get the vaccine from a different provider, please feel free to do so.

Please, if you know, or are suspicious that you have been exposed to COVID-19, stay home.  If you are concerned that you might have contracted Covid-19, please talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

Locally, we are also still limited by the State and TEA guidelines, and I will continue to work with Judge Chambers and Mr. Rotan as we try to navigate these challenging times.

As always, contact tracer activity is ongoing with all new positive results, and all results are being reported to the State of Texas per DSHS guidelines.  Most contact tracing is performed by Texas Health Trace, and can be initiated online if patients wish.  It would be helpful if you give the state your physical address, and not a PO Box.

Please be mindful that we are all neighbors, please respect the privacy of others.  The hospital, county, city and school districts are all required to follow HIPAA rules.  It is Glen Rose Medical Center’s policy not to release any demographic or patient information due to HIPAA laws.

Want to know more?

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website and Texas 2-1-1 remain the best sources of information for Somervell residents regarding COVID-19 testing and self-protection measures. DSHS updates their county-by-county tracking map daily at https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Now is a very good time to look in on the vulnerable and isolated in our community.  There is continued evidence of depression and anxiety being a problem for our isolated neighbors and family members.  Call a neighbor just to check in!

When in groups larger than 6 persons (outside of your household), wearing masks, and aggressive hand sanitation is still indicated.  Social distancing is still important. Please be safe.

If you get sick and test positive for COVID-19, please talk with your health care provider about treatment options.  For patients at a high risk for hospitalization or death from COVID-19, there are treatments available that can help prevent more serious cases and hospitalizations.  Please contact your healthcare provider for more information. These treatments are more effective when used as early as possible in the course of the illness.  Please do not dose yourself with agricultural pharmaceuticals in an effort to prevent infection with this virus.

I appreciate everyone’s continued time and efforts in fighting this disease, none of us are in this alone.  Together we can keep our community strong, safe, and moving forward.

Thank you!

Steven Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

January 3, 2021

Happy New Year to everyone!  Here’s hoping that 2021 is much better for us than 2020!

I am changing how the numbers are being reported for our county.  I am sure that this will upset some people, but this is a needed change.  Unfortunately, the massive amounts of data, complicated by incomplete data, has made it impossible for me to continue to vouch for the information that I am providing to our County’s leaders, as well as it’s residents.  In order to have more timely reporting, as well as more accurate numbers, I will be reporting numbers provided to me by the State of Texas.  I will continue to monitor cases diagnosed at GRMC, as well as other local cases, as that data is presented to me.

The spread of COVID-19 has leveled off here in Somervell County.  We have stayed fairly stable, at between 40-55 active daily cases during the last 2 weeks. In our county, we have widespread viral activity in families, institutions, and work places.  Social events continue to be an area with significant risk, especially during these past holidays.

If you choose to go out, or need/have to go to work, please exercise responsibility and wear a mask, especially if you have any possible exposure to the virus.  It is very common that people are contagious for anywhere from 24-48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic.  During those hours is when wearing a mask truly helps to protect those around you.  If you are not feeling well, please stay home, especially if you think you might have had exposure to someone with the virus.  Mask wearing in our community continues to be dismally low, especially given the continued elevation of cases of COVID-19.  I would ask and recommend that people return to more common usage of masks.

Statewide, levels of COVID-19 are still high, but may be reaching a plateau. With flu season starting, now is not the time for people to get complacent.  We have seen a handful of influenza cases so far, and it is likely to get worse. Mask wearing and social distancing can help keep flu cases down as well as future COVID-19 cases.  Please do not let your guard down.  Do not let COVID fatigue overwhelm you.  We must do better to stay safe, and keep the others around us safe and healthy.

Vaccinations are starting to be available in surrounding areas and communities.  Unfortunately, our small county has yet to receive an allocation of vaccine.  I have no new information regarding when we might get some vaccine, but I remain hopeful that it will be soon.

With the completion of the holidays, I hope that there will be less travel, and we can start to suppress the new infections.  Coupled with vaccination efforts, we can get the new case numbers down to a more manageable level soon.  Now more than ever, anyone who feels sick should stay home and help protect their loved ones by avoiding the spread of any infectious disease.  Please, if you know, or are suspicious of a significant exposure to COVID-19, stay home.  If you are concerned that you might have contracted Covid-19, please talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

Locally, we are also still limited by the State and TEA guidelines, and I will continue to work with Judge Chambers and Mr. Rotan as we try to navigate these challenging times.

As always, contact tracer activity is ongoing with all new positive results, and all results are being reported to the State of Texas per DSHS guidelines.  Most contact tracing is performed by Texas Health Trace, and can be initiated online if patients wish.  It would be helpful if you give the state your physical address, and not a PO Box.

Please be mindful that we are all neighbors, please respect the privacy of others.  The hospital, county, city and school districts are all required to follow HIPAA rules.  It is Glen Rose Medical Center’s policy not to release any demographic or patient information due to HIPAA laws.

Want to know more?

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website and Texas 2-1-1 remain the best sources of information for Somervell residents regarding COVID-19 testing and self-protection measures. DSHS updates their county-by-county tracking map daily at https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Now is a very good time to look in on the vulnerable and isolated in our community.  Many are having issues with loneliness and anxiety due to the prolonged isolation, as well as the holiday season.  Call a neighbor just to check in!

The number of active cases is still up for Somervell County right now.  It does appear that we have peaked, but we are still well above the threshold of cases necessary to opt out of the Governor’s executive orders.   We will continue to monitor and report what we can.  I do not think I can caution enough against becoming complacent, and letting this continue to worsen.  When in groups larger than 6 persons (outside of your household), wearing masks, and aggressive hand sanitation is still indicated.  Social distancing is still important. Please be safe.

If you get sick and test positive for COVID-19, please talk with your health care provider about treatment options.  For high risk individuals, there are treatments available that can help prevent more serious cases and hospitalizations.

I appreciate everyone’s continued time and efforts in fighting this disease, none of us are in this alone.  Together we can keep our community strong, safe, and moving forward.

Thank you!

Steven Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority

COVID 1-4-21

If you have travel plans Glen Rose Medical Center is now on the Texas Department of State Health Services list as a collection site for COVID-19 testing.  COVID-19 testing available, PCR, Antigen and Antibody testing.

You must call 254-897-1404 to schedule an appointment, there are no exceptions. Walk in testing is not available.  Please be prepared to answer a series of questions and allow time for appointment and results prior to travel guidelines.

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

December 21, 2020

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

As of 6 PM on 12/18/2020, Somervell County Texas registered a total of 738 cases of COVID-19, the number of residents currently with active cases is 37.  There is one patient currently hospitalized with COVID-19 at Glen Rose Medical Center.  Recently, we have continued to have a steady stream of inpatient COVID-19 patients.  Using the guidelines provided by the State of Texas DSHS, we currently have 4 county residents who have died as a result of their COVID-19 infections.  You may notice that the “official” state numbers for active cases, total cases, and deaths, differ from the numbers that I am reporting.  I am continuing to work at reconciling those differences, and I will report them when they change.

The spread of COVID-19 seems to have leveled off a bit here in Somervell County.  In our county, we are seeing spread of the virus within families, peer groups and some neighborhood clusters.  There has been moderate institutional spread noted in the last 3-4 weeks as well.  Social events and work place exposures appear to be the most common routes of exposure for our citizens.

If you choose to go out, or need/have to go to work, please exercise responsibility and wear a mask, especially if you have any possible exposure to the virus.  It is very common that people are contagious for anywhere from 24-48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic.  During those hours is when wearing a mask truly helps to protect those around you.  If you are not feeling well, please stay home, especially if you think you might have had exposure to someone with the virus.  Mask wearing in our community continues to be dismally low, especially given the rapid rise in our cases of COVID-19.  I would ask and recommend that people will return to more common usage of masks.

Given the widespread viral activity in our region, the risk level for Somervell County is at the substantial level.  Texas is having a second wave of COVID-19 infections.  The second wave seems to be reaching a plateau, but does not seem to want to decline at this time. With flu season starting, now is not the time for people to get complacent.  We have seen a handful of influenza cases so far, and it is likely to get worse, but with mask wearing and social distancing, we can help keep flu cases down as well as future COVID-19 cases.  Please do not let your guard down.  Do not let COVID fatigue overwhelm you.  We must do better to stay safe, and keep the others around us safe and healthy.

I apologize for my optimism regarding when we can begin vaccinations for COVID-19.  I was hoping that we might be able to start prior to Christmas.  It looks more like mid-January at this time.  Unfortunately, the amount a vaccine initially available will be much smaller than we had hoped.  This meansthat to help keep cases to a minimum, folks still need to social distance, wash hands, and wear masks whenever appropriate, not just some of the time.

I continue to believe that families can safely celebrate the holidays together.  Please be protective of the elderly and high risk people in your families.  There is still strong evidence that social gatherings are playing a very large role in the current spread we are seeing in our county and our state.   What I recommend is a more stringent personal standard for attending a family gathering.  Now more than ever, anyone who feels sick should stay home and help protect their loved ones by avoiding the spread of any infectious disease.  Please, if you know, or are suspicious of a significant exposure to COVID-19, stay home.  If you are concerned that you might have contracted Covid-19, please talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

Locally, we are also still limited by the State and TEA guidelines, and I will continue to work with Judge Chambers and Mr. Rotan as we try to navigate these challenging times.

As always, contact tracer activity is ongoing with all new positive results, and all results are being reported to the State of Texas per DSHS guidelines.  Most contact tracing is performed by Texas Health Trace, and can be initiated online if patients wish.

Please be mindful that we are all neighbors, please respect the privacy of others.  The hospital, county, city and school districts are all required to follow HIPAA rules.  It is Glen Rose Medical Center’s policy not to release any demographic or patient information due to HIPAA laws.

Want to know more?

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website and Texas 2-1-1 remain the best sources of information for Somervell residents regarding COVID-19 testing and self-protection measures. DSHS updates their county-by-county tracking map daily at https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Now is a very good time to look in on the vulnerable and isolated in our community.  Many are having issues with loneliness and anxiety due to the prolonged isolation, as well as the holiday season.  Call a neighbor just to check in!

The number of active cases is still up for Somervell County right now.  It does appear that we have peaked, but we are still well above the threshold of cases necessary to opt out of the Governor’s executive orders.   We will continue to monitor and report what we can.  I do not think I can caution enough against becoming complacent, and letting this continue to worsen.  When in groups larger than 6 persons (outside of your household), wearing masks, and aggressive hand sanitation is still indicated.  Social distancing is still important. Please be safe.

If you get sick and test positive for COVID-19, please talk with your health care provider about treatment options.  For high risk individuals, there are treatments available that can help prevent more serious cases and hospitalizations.

I appreciate everyone’s continued time and efforts in fighting this disease, none of us are in this alone.  Together we can keep our community strong, safe, and moving forward.

Thank you!

Steven Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority

PRESS RELEASE: COVID-19 UPDATE

December 4, 2020

As of 6 PM on 12/3/20/2020, Somervell County Texas registered a total of 615 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the number of residents currently with active cases is 50.  There are no patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 at Glen Rose Medical Center.  Recently, however, we have had a steady stream of inpatient COVID-19 patients.  Using the guidelines provided by the State of Texas DSHS, we currently have 4 county residents who have died as a result of their COVID-19 infections.  You may notice that the “official” state numbers for active cases, total cases, and deaths, and the numbers I am reporting, differ most of the time.  I am continuing to work at reconciling those differences, and I will report them when they change.

During the last two weeks we have added around 200 cases in Somervell County.  Most of this occurred prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Since Thanksgiving, there has been a small dip in new cases, but it appears that those numbers are starting to rise again.  Currently, we are seeing significant spread of the virus within families, peer groups and some neighborhood clusters.  There has been moderate institutional spread noted in the las 2-3 weeks as well.  Social events and work place exposures appear to be the most common routes of exposure for our citizens.  If you choose to go out, or need/have to go to work, please exercise responsibility and wear a mask, especially if you have any possible exposure to the virus.  It is very common that people are contagious for anywhere from 24-48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic.  During those hours is when wearing a mask truly helps to protect those around you.  If you are not feeling well, please stay home, especially if you think you might have had exposure to someone with the virus.  Mask wearing in our community continues to be dismally low, especially given the rapid rise in our cases of COVID-19.  I would ask and recommend that people will return to more common usage of masks.

Given the widespread viral activity in our region, the risk level for Somervell County is at the substantial level.  Texas is having a second wave of COVID-19 infections, and it continues to get worse.  With flu season starting, now is not the time for people to get complacent.  We have seen a handful of influenza cases so far, and it is likely to get worse in the near future.  Please do not let your guard down.  Do not let COVID fatigue overwhelm you.  We must do better to stay safe, and keep the others around us safe and healthy.

It is truly too early to see how the Thanksgiving holiday has affected the numbers here in Somervell County.  Hopefully we can start to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 with vaccination efforts prior to Christmas arriving.  Unfortunately, the amount a vaccine initially available will be much smaller than we had hoped.  This means folks still need to social distance, wash hands, and wear masks whenever appropriate, not just some of the time.  I continue to believe that families can safely celebrate the holidays together.  Please be protective of the elderly and high risk people in your families.  There is still strong evidence that social gatherings are playing a very large role in the current spread we are seeing in our county and our state.   What I recommend is a more stringent personal standard for attending a family gathering.  Now more than ever, anyone who feels sick should stay home and help protect their loved ones by avoiding the spread of any infectious disease.  Please, if you know, or are suspicious of a significant exposure to COVID-19, stay home.  If you are concerned that you might have contracted Covid-19, please talk to your healthcare provider about getting tested.

Governor Abbott’s last executive order imposed increased restrictions based upon hospital capacity and the percentage of beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.  The Trauma Service Area Somervell County is in, is approaching those limits.  To avoid greater “lockdown” type restrictions, people need to be responsible by staying home when they are sick.  Wear masks when inside and among other people not of their household.  Wash your hands frequently.  Locally, we are also still limited by the State and TEA guidelines, and I will continue to work with Judge Chambers and Mr. Rotan as we try to navigate these challenging times.

The fastest way to pre-2020 normal, is through an extensive vaccination program.  The process these vaccines are going through, is the same that other vaccines have gone through, just on a condensed timetable.  I personally have a great deal of comfort with the amount of transparency we are getting during this process.  It continues to appear that the most challenging part of this will be how much vaccine will be available and how it will be distributed.  It is certain that it will be given to high risk patients, first responders, healthcare personnel, and nursing home residents first.  It will be at least 4-6 months before general population will be able to obtain the vaccine.  Some vaccine will be available in the month of December, although we do not know if we will get any, or how much at this time.  More likely, is a chance to vaccinate a larger number of patients some time in mid to late January.

As always, contact tracer activity is ongoing with all new positive results, and all results are being reported to the State of Texas per DSHS guidelines.  Most contact tracing is performed by Texas Health Trace, and can be initiated online if patients wish.

Please be mindful that we are all neighbors, please respect the privacy of others.  The hospital, county, city and school districts are all required to follow HIPAA rules.  It is Glen Rose Medical Center’s policy not to release any demographic or patient information due to HIPAA laws.

Want to know more?

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website and Texas 2-1-1 remain the best sources of information for Somervell residents regarding COVID-19 testing and self-protection measures. DSHS updates their county-by-county tracking map daily at https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.

Now is a very good time to look in on the vulnerable and isolated in our community.  Many are having issues with loneliness and anxiety due to the prolonged isolation, as well as the holiday season.  Call a neighbor just to check in!

The number of active cases is still up for Somervell County right now.  We will continue to monitor and report what we can.  I do not think I can caution enough against becoming complacent, and letting this continue to worsen.  When in groups larger than 6 persons (outside of your household), wearing masks, and aggressive hand sanitation is still indicated.  Social distancing is still important. Please be safe.

Please request testing from your provider if you have concerns about being infected.

I appreciate everyone’s continued time and efforts in fighting this disease, none of us are in this alone.  Together we can keep our community strong, safe, and moving forward.

Thank you!

Steven Vacek, M.D.

Glen Rose HealthCare Inc.

Somervell County Local Health Authority