Hospital CEO: Arizona reopening should be ‘community specific’

Florence L. Spyrow: “Our communities are experiencing vastly different incident rates. We need to work with businesses, and ask, ‘What does reopening look like?’”

Florence L. Spyrow: “Our communities are experiencing vastly different incident rates. We need to work with businesses, and ask, ‘What does reopening look like?’”

COTTONWOOD - When will Arizona’s communities operate the way they did before the COVID-19 pandemic?

Maybe more importantly, what should reopening the communities look like?

Although Gov. Doug Ducey’s April 29 executive order tells Arizonans to “stay home, stay healthy, stay connected” at least until May 15, Chief Executive Officer Flo Spyrow of Northern Arizona Healthcare said Thursday that how to reopen “is the million-dollar question.”

“It needs to be community specific,” Spyrow said during Northern Arizona Healthcare’s weekly media briefing. “Our communities are experiencing vastly different incident rates. We need to work with businesses, and ask, ‘What does reopening look like?’”

Arizona added 446 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to the April 30 Arizona Department of Health Services report.

Of the 81 total COVID-19 cases currently in Yavapai County, 27 are in the Verde Valley, Yavapai County Community Health Services reported Thursday.

How the state’s government ultimately allows its businesses and services to reopen means “being smart about it,” said John Mougin, chief quality officer for Northern Arizona Healthcare. “Do it in a way in which you’re willing to go back. Our leaders have to have the courage to do that.”

Mougin also noted that the state’s hospitals “haven’t been overwhelmed” with COVID-19 patients, which he attributed to people following social distancing protocols.

“Cottonwood, the Verde Valley have been fortunate,” Mougin said. “Physical distance, being careful. Doesn’t mean they’re immune to the disease. Right now in the Verde I think we’ve flattened the curve. But there needs to be continual precautions to keep it that way.”

-- Follow Bill Helm on Twitter @AZShutterbug42


Donate Report a Typo Contact
Most Read
Event Calendar
Event Calendar link
Submit Event