Physical and behavioral services plow forward

The county’s three largest hospitals are open, running and bracing for what comes next.

MountainView Regional Medical Center (MVRMC) is continuing to meet the needs of other non-COVID patients as it operates with the New Mexico Department of Health and other entities coordinating the state's response to the COVID-19 outbreak, said MVRMC Director of Business Development and Marketing Ben Woods.

“MountainView continues to provide essential services to meet our region's healthcare needs,” he said. “Our Emergency Department, the region's Level III Trauma facility, continues to provide emergency services at both our hospital [and] our emergency center on North Main. There are other serious illnesses always present within our community, and we continue to admit and treat those as they present to our hospital. Our labor-and-delivery unit remains operational and continues to provide this essential service to our community.”

Woods said MountainView Medical Group clinics remain open to meet essential health care needs. Several of these are instituting tele-health options that enable the patient to visit with providers via telephone or computer. 

MVRMC has instituted a no-visitation policy, with limited exceptions, for the protection of patients and caregivers.

At Mesilla Valley Hospital (MVH), a free-standing psychiatric facility, CEO Anna Laliotis said, “MVH is making every effort to avoid inciting unnecessary panic or anxiety among our clients and families, and we are taking every measure to protect them – along with our employees – during this dynamic situation.”

“MVH remains fully operational and continues to admit patients for acute mental-health and substance-abuse conditions,” said Jeanne Resendez, MVH director of business development.

“We have taken proactive steps to keep our patients and team members safe, including screening all individuals upon entering the facility,” she said. “We have suspended visitation, with limited critical exceptions.”

Resendez said MVH can admit children, adolescents and adults for inpatient psychiatric stabilization and chemical dependency detox. In addition, there is a residential-treatment center for adolescent girls who need longer-term treatment for trauma-related issues. 

“We also continue to provide mental health and substance use treatment for adolescents and adults in our partial hospitalization program, which is an outpatient service,” she said.  “We determine what level of care each patient needs by conducting a no-cost assessment. Anyone is able to walk in for an assessment at anytime. No referral is needed. We encourage families to bring loved ones directly to Mesilla Valley Hospital when the concern is related to behavioral health and there are no medical complications,” she said.

Memorial Medical Center did not return telephone messages or emails seeking comment for this report.

Elva K. Österreich may be contacted at elva@lascrucesbulletin.com.