A Letter from HDMC CEO Karen Faulis to the MB Communities.

A Letter from Hi-Desert Medical Center CEO Karen Faulis to the Morongo Basin Communities.

Hi-Desert Medical Center stands united in serving the community and in facing new challenges due to COVID-19. Like you, every one of our physicians and staff members has been impacted by this pandemic, and we have made swift changes to ensure we’re meeting all public health safety measures. I am proud to be the CEO of such a caring and dedicated team.

We want you to know that we are here for you, ready to provide care in every way. We are working closely with the Morongo Basin Healthcare District, San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, and the California Department of Public Health, following guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to respond to any potential COVID-19 cases that may present at our hospital. We routinely treat infectious diseases and we have strong infection control policies, procedures, and systems in place to screen and treat patients.  We have taken the appropriate steps, and we have trained professionals and the necessary equipment to react accordingly.  We can safely and appropriately care for our patients with the necessary supplies and equipment.

Even as some aspects of care may temporarily change, you can count on Hi-Desert Medical Center to be here for you and your loved ones.  Although there might be some modifications, our emergency room and staff are here 24/7 for medical care, all urgent and emergency care needs, and for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related issues.  You’ll receive uninterrupted care for chronic medical conditions, urgent surgical needs, maternal care, and other medical issues that require inpatient care.

The patient care environment has changed with increased safety precautions, which is why we have temporarily suspended patient visits (with limited exceptions) to the hospital and Continuing Care Center.  We realize that family and friends are imperative to the recovery process and we encourage continuous connection with patients via virtual visits on FaceTime, Skype and other applications.  Know that our staff is providing care and comfort to our patients as they would for their own families.  

We have strategies in place to add significant capacity to our hospital should the need arise.  Our surge plans including adding beds in our recovery room and pre-op areas, converting space in our front lobby and Helen Gray Education Center, and erecting an outdoor tent to accommodate increased inpatient and ED volume.  

The health of our physicians and staff on the front lines is also crucial to our success in fighting the surge of patients we anticipate.  We have dedicated staff screening patients who are entering our facility and have taken measures to ensure all physicians and employees are screened.

As we navigate the effects of COVID-19, we expect more changes and challenges ahead. The support and generosity of the communities we serve has been heartwarming and uplifting to our staff.  We appreciate the donations of medical supplies and other offers of support.

We encourage our communities to stay safe at home and heed the direction of public health officials.  We are here for our patients and are ready to serve those who need our help in the coming weeks and months.

Karen Faulis

CEO

Hi-Desert Medical Center

San Bernardino County now has 372 coronavirus cases

CASES BY COMMUNITY
https://www.sbsun.com/2020/04/04/san-bernardino-county-now-has-372-coronavirus-cases/

Here’s a list of coronavirus cases in San Bernardino County by city and unincorporated community. If an unincorporated community is not listed, no cases have been reported there.

[Really glad to see that they're counting the unincorporated communities. Stay home, Wonder Valley!]

Adelanto: 3
Alta Loma: 4
Apple Valley: 4
Barstow: 6
Big Bear City: 2
Big Bear Lake: 3
Bloomington: 3
Blue Jay: 2
Chino: 13
Chino Hills: 14
Colton: 8
Crestline: 1
Fontana: 35
Grand Terrace: 1
Hesperia: 6
Highland: 14
Joshua Tree: 1
Loma Linda: 9
Mentone: 2
Montclair: 4
Oak Hills: 1
Ontario: 18
Phelan: 1
Rancho Cucamonga: 26
Redlands: 26
Rialto: 13
Rimforest: 1
Running Springs: 2
San Bernardino: 20
Upland: 14
Victorville: 9
Wrightwood: 1
Yucaipa: 69
Yucca Valley: 2
Undetermined: 15

Sense of community in tough times

This column will be a little different from my previous columns because our world has changed a bit over the last weeks.  As you know I mostly write about music and entertainment and I've written a bit on my experiences here in our little neck of the woods.

Today I want to share why I love this community.

Wonder Valley has a vibe, it's how we as a community work together and prop each other up. Much of that vibe is felt the moment one walks into the Palms. It's the felling of camaraderie and oneness that hits me right away. I've only really felt that one other time in my life and it was at my little honkytonk in Austin called Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon. I'm not a religious person but Ginny's was as close to a church as this old atheist has ever experienced. The Palms is just like that. It just feels spiritual.

Since our shelter in place order I've attended one of the virtual brunches set up by our friend Kevin Bone and setting aside everyone figuring out the conferencing software it went swimmingly. The same spiritual vibe was present on the interwebs as sitting at the bar with friends and a Bloody Mary. Although I hope our need to have them goes away I will surely attend each one as long as I am able.

I want to ask you all to stay positive and support your neighbors and friends as we try to get to the other side of this pandemic.  I hope to be writing about our adventures in sound and stage here in Wonder Valley again soon. But no matter how many months that takes keep the music playing not only on your record or CD player but in your heads. Music is the life of the party and keeps us moving and grooving on.

Drinking water available at Station 44 in Twentynine Palms.

I used to go to the Oasis Visitor's Center on Utah Trail to fill up our water jugs. They have a tap there for the tourists and campers and a handfull of locals. I'd always run into a few of our neighbors there.

Joshua Tree National Park recently closed to visitors, and since I'm stuck at home I've been unable to verify if the tap is still open for use. So I called Mark Lundquist at Supervisor Rowe's office to ask if County Fire could leave a water tap open for us.

Mark called around and was able to get County Fire to agree to leave a hose for people to fill up with drinking water. They asked that you take no more than 10 gallons per visit. The hose is on the south side of the building near the gate. The hose has a nozzle on it. All normal precautions should be taken: clean the nozzle before you fill your containers.

Station 44 is at 6560 Adobe Rd, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. Water will be available between daylight hours. Please close the water when you're done.

PS If ayone hears that the spigot at the Oasis Center is still open, please let me know.
Teresa - teresa.sitz@gmail.com

Crime Stats for March 2020.

The Sheriff’s Department stopped providing us data on their service in October of 2016. Our MAC Delegate, Teresa SItz, combs through the media reports each month and sifts out the crime stats for Wonder Valley. These are unofficial statistics, subject to a small margin of error.

There was one arrest listed for March, but it was for 3 people.
See: https://www.wondervalley.org/2020/03/local-business-closed-by-sheriffs.html

Many of the calls (20) were for illegal OHV (off highway vehicle) traffic. Two of the reports were for burglary.

Cases of coronavirus climb; two positive tests in Yucca Valley.

Stacey Moore wrote in an article in today's Desert Star, that there were no cases of Covid-19 listed in Twentynine Palms, or on the Base. She added, though, that "Cases in unincorporated communities like Joshua Tree, Morongo Valley and Landers are not listed by the county."

Since as many as 1 in 6 people in California live in unincorporated communities, it will be essential that our positive results and our deaths are counted among all the others. We will need to know what is going on in our communities.

We must also continue to live as if the virus is already in our community, and it very well may be. So keep washing your hands and maintaining your distance. If you're the type of person who prays, keep it up.

Godwin Fellowship Meets in Parking Lot.

We are delighted to inform you that Godwin Christian Fellowship will

conduct all services in a DRIVE-IN format for the foreseeable future!

Everyone will be safely served while in the comfort of their own vehicles! 

Come enjoy spirited singing and wholesome 

fellowship on our beautiful parking lot! 

Every Sunday at 10:30 AM. 

There is always hope in GOD! Please join us!!

Pastor Max Rossi

Godwin Christian Fellowship

6389 Godwin Road

Wonder Valley/29 Palms, CA 92277