Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Ignite Medical Resorts Adams PARC in Bartlesville has announced that they started family visits on Monday.

Director of Business Development Heather Smoot said resuming family visits has been amazing. Smoot said the first visit that was held on Monday was emotional for everyone. She said that first visit gave them great joy at Ignite as they got to see someone that they care for reconnect with their families.

Smoot said the pandemic that none of us saw coming nearly a year ago has kind of come full circle. However, Smoot said COVID-19 isn't going to disappear off of their radar. Smoot said they're screening their preregistered guests for any symptoms as they come into Ignite at 6006 SE Adams Boulevard. She said they're also doing a rapid swab for the coronavirus on those guests as well.

These precautions are also used on vendors coming into their building. Smoot said six-feet of social distancing between patients and guests is still being maintained. Despite the social distancing, Smoot said the family members are just happy to be in such close proximity with their loved ones at Ignite.

Everyone is still required to wear a mask upon entry into the building and for the family visits. Smoot said sanitation stations are available in the common area where the family visits are taking place and throughout the facility. She said they continue to clean and disinfect at a high level as well.

After each family visit, Smoot said they're thoroughly cleaning the area where family members gathered to speak with one another. She said they continue to clean their facility throughout the day even if the family visits aren't taking place.

Throughout the pandemic, Ignite Medical Resorts Adams PARC has offered compassionate visits on a case-by-case basis. Ignite Adams PARC Executive Director Rachel Shearer said Washington County's positivity rate on Tuesday was down to seven-percent. Shearer said that's something to celebrate but they're keeping in mind that shouldn't loosen up on what they're doing when it comes to following COVID-19 precautions and guidelines. If the coronavirus positivity rate in Washington County were to return to 10-percent, Shearer said they would look at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others to see if they can continue to hold family visits as they're being held now.

Shearer said Ignite Adams PARC's Hospitality Team has been reaching out to every single family member of every guest that they currently have in-house. She said they're able to talk with every family to see when visits would be best for everyone.

Evening visits, weekend visits, early morning visits, lunch visits and more are being offered. Shearer said they're going to make any visit work that's going to be best for the well-being of their guests.

At one point during the pandemic, Smoot said Ignite Adams PARC was accommodating the needs of the entire hospital system for northeast Oklahoma. Smoot said they once had a high percentage of COVID-19 patients that they were admitting to meet the needs of our regional hospitals. With the low seven-percent coronavirus positivity rate in the area now, Smoot said they've been able to transition their building to have one active COVID-19 wing that is still around to provide support to the regional hospital system because the virus is still in our communities.

Smoot said they're also able to manage patients that have recovered from COVID-19. They're not an active case but Smoot said they may have had a readmission to the hospital because they may be deemed a "long-hauler" or they're still having complications with other diseases processes that the coronavirus has flared up for them now. She said they're doing their best to help those who have recovered from COVID-19.

Ignite Adams PARC has two wings of its Bartlesville facility dedicated to COVID-negative patients. Smoot said they're securing their building for everyone involved by asking discharging hospitals that they test patients for COVID-19 upon discharge. She said they're also taking extra precautions to protect those that haven't been able to take advantage of some of coronavirus vaccination clinics in the region.

As temperatures warm up, Ignite Adams PARC may be able to perform outdoor family visits as part of Phase II. Smoot said they're excited to see some light at the end of the tunnel the pandemic has created for our communities and those that live in them.