Special - Shelter in Place Order and Letter From BSW

*****Latest Order*****

Well, the Mayor has issued a "Shelter in Place" order - just like Austin and Travis County.  Here's a link to the official order - it must have taken a lot of attorney time to make it so confusing.  So let me condense it a little, I'm no attorney - but I have at least read it.  

Basically, you are to stay at home.  You can go to the doctor, grocery shopping and work around your home.  All businesses are closed except for "essential business" which includes grocery stores, liquor stores, residential and commercial construction, lawn care, etc.  Everyone should comply with "Social Distancing".  Restaurants can provide drive through, pick-up or delivery service.

All elective medical procedures are prohibited.  

All the Boards and Commission meetings are cancelled except for ZAPCO, CBC and the Charter Review.  

Parks are open but playground equipment is off limits, the golf courses are closed.

No visitors in nursing homes, retirement and long term care facilities except for certain exclusions.

You can engage in outdoor activities as long as you maintain social distancing.

If you get caught and convicted of breaking the law you can be fined up to $500.  That will be interesting since the list of essential activities is very large.  Go to the full order to see the full list of essential activities - here's the link.

Went into effect at midnight on March 24, 2020.  

So, stay at home and only get out for necessities and practice social distancing.

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*****Baylor Scott and White Update*****

Here's a letter from Philippe Bochaton, President of the hospital:

Dear Friends –
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to increase in the Travis county region, I want to provide you with a brief update about ongoing efforts at Baylor Scott & White Health and share some guidance for those who have questions or concerns about their risk of infection with COVID-19.

Our hospital is here to serve the people of Lakeway with an unwavering commitment to the health of our patients, our staff, and the community.

Our hospital and clinic teams regularly receive education and training for the identification and treatment of high-consequence infectious diseases, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and recommendations. This includes rapidly identifying and isolating patients whose symptoms and contact history are consistent with COVID-19.

We have been continuously evaluating opportunities to build additional capacity in our hospitals in
anticipation of future needs related to the treatment of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. As a result, we have been cancelling or rescheduling clinically non-emergent procedures and surgeries as appropriate – balancing our ability to respond to patients in need with preparedness efforts needed to sustain our service to the community during this time.

To protect the safety of our patients and staff, and in accordance with new local regulations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we recently moved to a no visitor policy. We will be offering limited exceptions to the policy, including one parent, spouse or caretaker over the age of 16 for a pediatric or NICU patient, laboring/post-partum patient, patients with disabilities or impairments, patients requiring surgery or other medical procedures and patients requiring end-of-life care. You may notice that our main entrance is now closed so that we can direct visitors and patients to our emergency department entrance where they must be screened before entering the facility.

A number of educational resources are available online at BSWHealth.com. We now have an online
screening questionnaire that you can find on the MyBSWHealth app and online at  myBSWHealth.com. Simply text BETTER to 88408 to have the app sent to your phone.

This screening questionnaire is for patients not experiencing a medical emergency. In the event of an
emergency, we ask patients to call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

The results of this questionnaire may give reassurance about low risk with recommendations for hygiene and social distancing or may recommend further evaluation for those with more significant risk.

If you receive notification to seek additional evaluation, MyBSWHealth gives options for next steps. For example, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., eVisits with providers can be conducted on the
MyBSWHealth app and online at MyBSWHealth.com.

If a provider advises that testing for COVID-19 is necessary, specimen collection can be arranged. However, it is important to note that in line with CDC guidelines, patients who are experiencing mild symptoms suspected to be related to COVID-19 infection are being given guidance to treat at home with rest and hydration and to take precautions for distancing and isolating from others, when possible.

At Baylor Scott & White Health, there is nothing more important to us than the well-being of our patients and staff and the broader health of our communities. An unprecedented community effort is necessary to slow the transmission of the virus. Please follow the guidelines of the CDC and health and government officials. These guidelines are there to not only protect you, but some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

During this time of great uncertainty, we are here to care for you. We are in it together. Please do not
hesitate to reach out if my team and I can help address some of your concerns.

With much appreciation,

Philippe Bochaton
President

Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway

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So, that's about it.  Be careful, obey social distancing and stay healthy.  We will get through this and I expect sooner than later.  If you have questions, I'll try to find out.  If you want to be added to my email list, send a note to lakeway@bain.us and I'll get it done.

Joe Bain
lakeway@bain.us