File photo
File photo
AdventHealth Central Texas will pay its hospital staff through June 6 provided non-essential employees agree to be redeployed.
"Redeploy in the health care setting means to take you out of your original job description and put you in a place where you can be the most valuable during any current situation," Sarah Kennedy, community wellness coordinator at AdventHealth Central Texas, told KXXV 25.
As of April 30, Texas reported 28,087 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 732 deaths. Bell County has 189 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Providing care for COVID-19 patients is the priority right now, leaving many departments and staff members to fall into the category of non-essential. Heather Felton, a registered nurse in the endoscopy department, helps sedate patients for colonoscopies, bronchoscopies, etc. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, she was redeployed to the maternity center, where she helps take care of mothers and their newborn babies.
"Assessing them, making sure they're eating well and that they're feeling well before they get to go home," Felton told KXXV 25. "I had experience with that before I moved to Killeen."
Felton said the hospital's goal is to maintain care for their patients.
"We're going to get through this, but we need to work where we can work and help where we can help," she said.
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