By Emily Williams
Grandview Cancer Center’s Dr. William H. Ennis doesn’t work in public health, so pandemic shutdowns were as much a surprise to him as they were for much of the public.
As a radiation oncologist, many of the patients who Ennis works with are at a higher risk of having a more serious case of COVID-19 should they contract the virus.
But the hospital hasn’t closed its doors during the pandemic, and not a single radiation oncology patient missed a treatment because of hospital actions, he said, despite hospital workers spending the first months of the pandemic battling with a lack of testing and a nationwide PPE shortage, as well as general fear.
“Certainly, with the shutdown, initially we had folks who weren’t coming for regular screenings,” he said. “It’s something that we wouldn’t recommend missing a whole year of.”
The hospital has since implemented a variety of safety measures to ensure the safety – and peace of mind – of patients and staff.
“We know that radiation can impact the immune system,” he said. “It’s not as overwhelming as chemotherapy is, but a lot of our patients are on chemotherapy as well as radiation or have just finished chemotherapy.”
In addition, many people suffering from cancer tend to be older and have other risk factors that make the coronavirus more dangerous to them, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and poor lung function, as well as being immunosuppressed from radiation or chemotherapy, Ennis said.
“So, we try to be as careful as we can,” he said.
When Labor Day approached and patients asked about whether they could see relatives or where they could go, Ennis said he stuck to national guidelines.
“I strongly encourage staying as socially distant as possible, wearing masks, limiting interactions with other people,” he said. “You know, as things are reopening around them, (cancer patients) are really the ones that need to be careful.”
While people at a lower risk of death from coronavirus may feel comfortable being out and about as normal, Ennis recommends they make sure not to congregate in groups or interact with others who could potentially expose them to the virus.
Safety is doubly important this fall, as flu season arrives, he said.
“We’re obviously going to recommend flu vaccinations for everybody and everybody who is working here,” he said, though he does believe new COVID-19 safety measures may lessen the blow from the flu this year.
“I do think that wearing the masks, washing the hands and the social distancing is going to probably help curb this flu season a little bit,” he said. “So, this flu season may be a little bit milder than typical years.”
Now that the hospital has safer measures in place, PPE is in good supply and testing is quicker and more abundant, Ennis and his fellow physicians are hoping to see more patients return.
“We’re recommending that folks get back out and do their regular cancer screenings, whether that be colonoscopies, mammograms or … for lung cancers,” he said.
Peace of Mind
Radiation oncology Director Michael Chad Montgomery said hospital staff throughout the pandemic have worked to ensure the safety of patients.
“Initially we, like many other places, started limiting the number of actual people who were entering our building, of course,” Montgomery said. “What we are doing right now, which we have been doing since the beginning, is making sure that everyone in the building is wearing masks – wearing PPE – while they are here.”
Employees undergo temperature checks when they enter as well as being monitored for potential symptoms.
“Knowing that there are asymptomatic cases out there, we wanted to try to curb any asymptomatic spread if we can among patients,” Ennis said.
The hospital’s cleaning schedule has been ramped up, and hand-sanitizing stations are abundant throughout the facility.
In addition, all waiting areas or spots where multiple people congregate – be it a lobby or conference room – are arranged to promote social distancing.
By implementing as many safety measures as possible to lessen the discomforting threat of contracting COVID-19, Montgomery said he hopes to give patients a bit more peace of mind.
