Marshall Health adjusts COVID-19 testing

As COVID-19 numbers are down across the board and continue in a decline, Marshall is changing its hours for the testing tent and hotline, effective Monday. Marshall Health announced in recent days that its COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at Marshall University Medical Center/Cabell Huntington Hospital will be open 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. The drive-thru is located at 1600 Medical Center Drive next to the Marshall Health and Cabell Huntington Hospital parking garage.

The Marshall Health COVID-19 Hotline at 304-696-2900 will also now be open 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday to answer questions and concerns about COVID-19.

Dr. Joe Evans, Chief Medical Officer for Marshall Health told MetroNews the move comes as the demand is not there.

“The first two weeks of January we averaged over 300 tests a day, we might have up to 500 on a given day. The last two weeks we have averaged less than 30 tests a day,” Evans said.

Evans said in addition to test numbers, calls are down around 90%, from nearly 40 per day months ago to four per day currently.

According to Friday’s report from the state Department of Health and Human Resources, there are 20 active cases in Cabell County. That figure was more than 1,300 in January.

Evans said there are numerous reasons why case totals are down across West Virginia.

“We’ve had a number of people become ill, so they are probably protected. We’ve had a number of people become vaccinated so they are somewhat protected. And just the ebb and flow of the coronavirus itself,” he said.

Marshall Health added that the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration COVID-19 Uninsured Program no longer accepts claims for COVID-19 testing and treatment, effective March 22, nor claims for vaccine administration, effective April 5, 2022. Any individual without insurance will be responsible for the entire cost of COVID-19 testing, similar to any other medical test performed.

Free COVID-19 testing for all community members is available at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department, at 703 Seventh Avenue in Huntington, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Since opening in March 2020, the Marshall Health drive-thru location has performed nearly 70,000 COVID-19 tests.

Banner Health Casper Medical Center honors Donate Life Month with flag raising

organ donors made 642 transplants possible in Wyoming. Donate Life estimates that 130 people in Wyoming are waiting for an organ or tissue transplant. In honor of Donate Life Month, which takes place all of April, Banner Health Casper Medical Center and Donate Life Wyoming raised the donate life flag in front of the hospital in Casper.

“Even though we still have 61% of Wyomingites that say yes to organ donation, it’s still really important that we get the word out and that’s what Donate Life Month is for. It’s really important to share the importance of organ, eye, and tissue donation by Sonic 2 streaming shining a light and that is what we are doing this April,” said Donor Alliance Community Relations Coordinator Ryea O’Neill.

Donate Life is encouraging people to take advantage of the month to have discussions with family and friends about organ donation. For more information on organ donation and Donate Life, visit the Donate Life website.

As part of the ceremony, Casper nurse and donor mom Ashlee Ferre spoke before the flag-raising. She shared that a few years ago, her seven-year-old son passed away and she had to make the decision whether to donate his organs, tissue, and eyes or not. While she never expected to make the decision, her son, Jace, successfully donated to four people, and his liver was also donated for research purposes.

Ferre says Jace always wanted to be a superhero, and that by becoming a donor and saving lives he got to become one. When Ferre’s youngest son is asked who his favorite hero is, he says it’s his brother, Jace.

“To know that he Troppo cattivi streaming, my tiny little 55 pound seven-year-old, well tiny to me, saved you know at least four lives and more because his liver went to research. To know he saved that is just... it’s meant so much,” said Ferre.

Those interested in becoming organ, eye, and tissue donors can register when they receive or renew their driver’s license or state ID. Donors can also sign up online through Donate Life.

Donor Alliance will be hosting a Donor Dash in Casper to honor the lives of donors and celebrate the lives of transplant recipients. The dash will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 23.