We are proud to share that the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce named Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital Business of the Year during its annual meeting on Sept. 9. Lourdes Hospital is sharing this honor with Baptist Health Paducah.
“Our caregivers rose to the challenge to care for COVID-19 patients and they continue to do so today, as we experience a surge of patients due to the Delta variant,” Mercy Health – Kentucky President Michael Yungmann (pictured above) shares.
Lourdes Hospital’s phenomenal response to the pandemic and how it contributed to the health and well-being of the Paducah community was a key factor in earning the prestigious honor.
During the initial peak of the pandemic, Lourdes Hospital caregivers adapted to focus on COVID-19, training in different areas including donning/doffing PPE, isolation precautions, best practices, vent management, swabbing, manually proning patients and more so they could care safely for critically ill patients.
Providers with Mercy Health Physicians transitioned almost seamlessly from in-person care to mostly virtual care. Providers and patients handled the learning curve well, going from 600 virtual visits in 2019 to 47,500 in 2020.
As the first local health care facility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Lourdes Hospital was a key regional site for vaccine distribution and vaccinated 13,000 people via a convenient, drive-up clinic. Hospital leaders also provided community education and outreach to reduce vaccine hesitancy.
Michael organized a regional collaborative of hospitals, public health departments, the Kentucky Hospital Association and elected officials to share knowledge and resources while delivering a consistent COVID-19 response. Jenny Franke, MD, our chief clinical officer, led our ministry’s clinical response in Kentucky. She provided the community the latest information through media interviews, virtual conversations and town hall events.
During the initial pandemic shutdown, tumor boards, cancer committees, support groups and quit smoking classes all went virtual to maintain momentum in cancer screening, treatment, education and prevention. Additionally, our imaging and colonoscopy team worked to reopen cancer screenings in a COVID-safe way.
Congratulations to everyone at Lourdes Hospital who built on a 116-year history of exceptional care to transform care delivery and minister to the community safely throughout the pandemic.
Learn about the health care services we offer at Mercy Health.
