Banner Health leader discusses response to Arizona COVID-19 outbreak

PHOENIX — Banner Health’s chief clinical officer held a press conference on Monday in which she discussed the health care company’s response to the spread of coronavirus in Arizona.

“During this difficult time of the COVID-19 disease, we are here to take care of those that need us,” Dr. Marjorie Bessel told those in attendance.

Bessel continued by saying that those at Banner Health have been holding regular meetings regarding the spread of coronavirus, along with “working very carefully” with state and federal health officials in order to effectively maintain health care operations in Arizona.

“This is a very fluid situation, changing sometimes hourly,” she said. “We continue to meet very, very frequently to stay abreast of what those changes are and make sure that we adjust our response as needed.”

Regarding a question about the number of available testing kits, Bessel said she expected Banner Health to have additional testing capability later this week.

For individuals who believe they’ve contracted coronavirus and require medical care, Bessel asked prospective patients to take preliminary measures prior to entering a health care facility in order to streamline treatment and keep everyone as safe as possible.

First, Bessel recommends that individuals consult Banner’s online resources and call the the office of their primary care physicians in order to complete initial screening over the phone.

Bessel identified the importance of online and tele-medical services as crucial to combating COVID-19, explaining that “approximately 80 percent of people who become infected with the virus will have mild symptoms,” some of whom can be cared for at home without requiring in-person treatment.

However, if it is determined that an individual should go directly to a facility for treatment, Bessel asked the public to safeguard the well-being of their health care staff.

“One of the most important things they can do to make sure that they don’t infect one of our health care workers is to put a mask on immediately upon entering into those areas,” she said.

“By masking themselves, they will reduce the likelihood that they are going to infect one of our health care workers and help us make sure that our healthcare workers remain healthy.”

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