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Updated: 7:35 PM Nov 16, 2009
Officials are calling flu center a huge success
More than one thousand people have visited the regional flu center in Pike County in less than two weeks.
Posted: 5:38 PM Nov 16, 2009Reporter: Angela Sparkman Email Address: angela.sparkman@wymtnews.com |
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2 Comments 
More than one thousand people have visited the regional flu center in Pike County in less than two weeks.
Pikeville Medical Center officials have diagnosed hundreds with the flu and say the flu center is proving to be a success in the community.
Doctors at the flu center in Pikeville have diagnosed hundreds with the flu and have also seen cases of strep and other illnesses.
They say the flu center is helping people get treatment faster and is helping stop the spread of illnesses.
Doctors are seeing around 100 patients a day at the Regional Flu Center in Pikeville.
Nearly 1300 patients have visited the Flu Center since it opened two weeks ago.
“It's been much more successful than we could have anticipated,” Jerry Johnson said.
Pikeville Medical Center officials opened the center to relieve the emergency room staff when dozens of people with flu symptoms flooded their facility.
Doctors say the flu center reduced 80 percent of those waiting in line in the ER.
“We're getting nearly 100 people a day from people that normally would have been in the emergency room and now they're not doing that.
Officials say pulling those with flu symptoms from the hospital has protected other patients in the hospital critically ill with other diseases, but officials say the center is also is helping those with the flu recover faster.
“It's been much easier for patients coming in. They've been seen much quicker,” Johnson said.
“A lot of the patients we have seen here have been very sick patients,” Sheila Belcher said.
Doctors run flu tests at a lab in the center and get results back within 15 minutes, so patients can get treatment faster.
“Trying to contain the flu as much as possible so having an off site facility here, open a flu center 24-7 has really been a big plus for our community,” Belcher said.
Pikeville Medical Center officials say they will keep the flu center open as long as necessary.
Doctors say everyone who is suffering symptoms should come in and get checked out, so if you do have the flu, you can start treating it as soon as possible.
Latest Comments
As with any business man when Walter sees an entrpreneurial opportunity he seizes it with both hands. While the concept makes some sense, it is a pure money-making opportunity for the business people at PMC. What is the difference in this than someone setting up generators after an ice storm. Sorry that I am skeptical of the intentions here, but though there is rhetoric about helping..once again Walter knows how to make medicine pay!
well,well, I would guess so if the hospitals and doctors offices in the area are refuseing to see patients with the flu. people around here are such idiots for believing that things are going to change. of course the numbers are high if everyone can only be seen there and have nowhere else to go, my question is this how many were seen that didn't have the h1n1 strain. I don't need a brick to fall on my head to see what is happening and who is benefitting from our misfortunes.
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