From the Heart: Is COVID staging a comeback?

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 | Vol. 3, No. 5

Is COVID staging a comeback?

Spring 2022 hasn’t been entirely COVID-free in South Louisiana, but it’s been close to it – and have we ever enjoyed it.

Now, as temperatures climb, signs suggest it may be staging a comeback.

As is the case nationally, local COVID numbers have been slowly creeping up in recent weeks. With a COVID positive test rate of 11%, St. Tammany Parish this week was reclassified as at “medium” risk for COVID infections on the CDC’s three-point community risk scale after enjoying a “low” level for weeks.

That increased infection risk is being felt at our Covington hospital. This past weekend, we had 11 COVID-positive inpatients, after dropping to as few as two cases earlier this month.

So what’s next?

To answer that question, STHS infectious disease specialist Dr. Mike Hill will host a free, all-ages luncheon discussion on “Living Life to the Fullest in a Post Pandemic Reality” on June 11. (You read that right: free lunch.)

You can learn more about it at StTammany.health/News/LunchAndLearnCOVID.

We invite you to attend. We also remind you to practice all the COVID precautions we’ve been preaching all along: social distancing, good hand hygiene and vaccinations.

Here’s what else is happening at St. Tammany Health System:

The Music Man

You might recognize STHS Security Lt. Fred Booker – and his contagious smile – from the cover of the most recent issue of our quarterly Heart to Heart magazine.

On Wednesday, viewers of WDSU-Ch. 6 got to see that smile, too.

Lt. Booker, who is known to entertain those in the hospital lobby with his piano playing, was the subject of a feature by WDSU reporter Heath Allen that aired at 5, 6 and 10 p.m.

Missed it? Check it out at the link.

St. Tammany hospital security guard stuns with piano skills

Watch video

On the air with Joan Coffman

St. Tammany Health System President and CEO Joan Coffman recently visited The Lake 94.7-FM studios to discuss the myriad happenings at STHS, from the acquisition of new buildings to the start of new programs.

Click the link to listen in on their conversation or, if you prefer, to read a transcript.

Northshore Healthscape

The Northshore is a lot of things to a lot of people. To us, it’s home. For others, it offers a peaceful retreat. Now, St. Tammany Health System is joining with other local groups for a community-wide initiative led by St. Tammany Corporation to market the area as a regional healthcare destination.

Healthy eating

Down here in South Louisiana, we love to eat, but we often pay the price for it from a health perspective. That’s why it’s so important to help your children develop healthy eating habits for life. How do you do that? Our experts at the St. Tammany Health System Parenting Center have tips for you.

Simply the best

For the 13th grading period in a row, St. Tammany Health System has received an A for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, an independent healthcare consumer protection organization. It’s the longest such streak of any Louisiana health system, with the next closest having eight.

Are you prepared?

Two to five minutes. That’s all it takes for a person suffering a traumatic injury to bleed to death without proper medical attention. The good news is that learning what to do to stabilize such a patient until first responders arrive is easier than you probably think – and it’s free.

St. Tammany Health System