COVID-19 Response: Hospital Readiness

In Episode 34,  we discover how prepared hospitals and health care facilities in New Mexico really are. And we go all over the state for this one.

We hear from Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, who was on Let's Talk New Mexico this morning, about how things are looking in the southern part of the state. Reporter Algernon D'Ammassa from the Las Cruces Sun-News tells us about what questions journalists there are asking of their regional hospitals.

Dr. David Pitcher, executive physician for the UNM Health System answers questions about how well they're prepared and about a critical article in VICE from an ER doc. Dr. Alisha Parada, the division chief for General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics at UNMH, shares her concerns for the patients who come through her department.

And San Juan Regional Medical Center CEO Jeff Bourgeois gets into how things are shaping up in the four-corners area. Plus, KUNM reporter Bryce Dix speaks to Mikayla Hernández-Boyd, a nursing student who's concerned about how ready she'll be without hands-on training because of the new distance learning requirements for students everywhere.

Special thanks to all of our guests, and to Matt Grubs, senior producer at New Mexico PBS, for his interview with Human Services Department Secretary David Scrase.

And a news update: We heard on our show yesterday about billions set aside for tribes by the federal relief package passed and signed at the end of March. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in his interview with National Native News Anchor Antonia Gonzales that the money was tied up in bureaucracy. The Navajo Nation has seen a high rate of infection and seven deaths from coronavirus. Today, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing the federal government to release that money to tribes around the country so they can create and boost much-needed health care access, according to the Payson Roundup news source in Arizona.

We're keeping a complete list of the resources and volunteer opportunities that we find for each episode here. Today's resources are included below:

The CDC is saying people should wear masks when out of the house now. Find a pattern and get some tips to make your own or help make them for people who are providing essential services by emailing the network of folks working on this: CraftResponders@gmail.com. Trying to figure out if you should get tested for COVID, or if you should go to the hospital because your symptoms are getting worse? Call the Department of Health Hotline: 1-855-600-3453 Albuquerque Mutual Aid put out the call today asking for food or monetary donations, saying their backstock was almost depleted.

How are things going for you? We want to know. Share your quarantine stories by calling: (505) 218-7084 and leaving us a message. We could roll them into a future episode.