For immediate release​:

Contact:    
Bridget Foster                                                                                                     
Clark Regional Medical Center                                                       
Director, Marketing and Communications
502-370-5597
Bridget.Foster@LPNT.net
COVID-19: What Clark Regional Medical Center is Doing and What You Can Do
It probably feels as if coronavirus – or as it is officially known, COVID-19 – is all anyone is talking about these days. As COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses like the seasonal flu continue to spread across the U.S., you also may feel a certain level of concern over how this disease could affect you or your loved ones, or if your local healthcare provider is prepared to respond to any local cases that may arise. That’s certainly understandable and natural. We want to provide you with essential information outlining what we are doing to stay prepared and offer you guidance on what you can do to help protect yourself, your family and our community.
What we are doing
Clark Regional Medical Center (CRMC) is committed to providing the highest quality care and ensuring the safety of our patients, employees, providers, volunteers and visitors at all times. While COVID-19 is new, effectively responding to other infectious diseases is not. We have tested processes and plans in place to respond to situations involving infectious disease year-round. Here is what we are doing to stay ready and effectively respond to COVID-19:
·       We continue to work closely with the Clark County Health Department, Kentucky Department of Public Health, and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that we are prepared with appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond should anyone in our community contract or be exposed to COVID-19.
·       We have a robust emergency operations plan in place and are reviewing and proactively completing a number of preparation checklists out of an abundance of caution.
·       We have hand hygiene products easily accessible throughout our facility.
·       We are screening patients in our emergency department, inpatient units and outpatient clinics based on CDC guidance.
·       Staff treating a potential COVID-19 case are provided with all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to help prevent exposure.
·       Patients with respiratory or COVID-19-related symptoms are immediately provided masks to wear to help prevent exposure to others.
·       In the event that we identify a potential COVID-19 case, we will follow all CDC guidelines for placing that individual in isolation for their care and for the protection of other patients, employees and visitors.
·       We have implemented visitor restrictions at our facility as follows:
o   People with fever, cough, sore throat or other flu-like symptoms are not permitted to visit unless you are seeking care.
o   People who have traveled to a high-risk area for COVID-19 or had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 are not permitted to visit
o   In accordance with guidance from the Kentucky Department of Public health (KDPH), we are also restricting all visitors from entering our transitional care unit unless they are visiting an individual receiving end-of-life care.
These measures are in place to protect our facility and our community. Please know that our providers and clinical teams are well-trained and prepared to manage outbreaks of infectious diseases, including COVID-19, seasonal flu and other respiratory illnesses.
CRMC follows guidance from our local health department, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding precautions and testing. We recommend the public continue to follow these trusted sources for the latest information.
What you can do
It’s easy to feel helpless when faced with a barrage of news reports and social media updates regarding COVID-19. The good news is that there are some key steps you can take to help protect you and your loved ones and help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19:
·       Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
·       Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
·       Staying home when you are sick
·       Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash
·       Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces, including your phone, computer, remote controls and doorknobs
·       Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
·       Using an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available (Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty)
·       Practicing social distancing behaviors, including working from home, avoiding public gatherings and unnecessary travel, and maintaining a distance of approximately six feet from others when possible.
What to do if you are experiencing symptoms
First and foremost - if you are having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or go directly to the Emergency Room. If possible, notify the dispatch agent that your emergency involves symptoms possibly related to COVID-19. 
For non-emergency needs, if you need medical attention due to respiratory illness symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and plan to visit our hospital, your primary care provider or an urgent clinic, please call the Kentucky Department of Public Health COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-722-5725 before you go and let them know that you are experiencing symptoms that may possibly be related to COVID-19. This will allow providers to properly prepare for your visit and take the necessary precautions to keep others from being infected or exposed.
Please be reassured that our number one priority is the health and well-being of our community – and that includes you. We are prepared to manage an outbreak of respiratory illness, and we encourage you to follow the guidance above and stay tuned to updates from the CDC to help protect you and your loved ones. Keeping our community healthy is a community effort, and we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our community healthy today and for generations to come.
For more information and to stay abreast of the latest updates on COVID-19, you can visit https://www.ClarkRegional.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Preparedness-Information and www.cdc.gov.

Kentucky native Kelvin Damrell, the newest and youngest member of the world renowned Bluegrass band, The Steeldrivers, stopped by recently to visit with Bluegrass Breakout. He talked to us about what it was like to join such a well-established band and the hard work he's investing in his musicianship and vocals to make the most of the opportunity. Kelvin also talked about his personal song-writing, trying to support and help his wife parent while on the road with the band and he gave us some behind the music scene stories that are sure to make you smile! Kelvin rocked our studio with his solo version of some of our favorite Steeldrivers' songs. Check out the podcast below and be sure to grab a copy of The Steeldrivers latest project: Bad For You
​

We had a wonderful time in studio with Sasha Colette of Olive Hill, Kentucky. She is an enormously talented singer, musician and songwriter. 
We were first introduced to Sasha at the Gateway Regional Arts Center last year during their Woodsongs Coffee House Hour and had been playing her songs ever since. It was quite an honor to talk with Sasha about her roots, her journey and growth while making music and starting a family and about her insights on music. She was kind enough to share even more of her great original tunes with us, so if you missed the interview and studio session when it aired live, here it is in its entirety.
​

She's well known in Kentucky music circles and beyond as an artist, an advocate, a teacher and promoter. What many people don't know about Jen Tackett is her passion for Kentucky farmers and agriculture and how that passion connects with her zeal for music.

Jen graciously accepted our invitation to Guest Co-host Bluegrass Breakout with Angela where she talked about her background, her music and her work with 4-H. She even shared two of her original songs with our live audience from the band room of our new Irvine studio. 

Jen is a GEM and we can't wait to have her back to update us on her work and sing more of her story songs for us!

Follow Jen on Instagram www.instagram.com/jentackettmusic/?hl=en

Jen's Soundcloud soundcloud.com/jen-tackett

Click on the player or file below to hear the entire show. 

Appalachian singer songwriter musician and story teller, Derek Spencer was the featured artist during the  Woodsongs Coffee House Hour July concert. The concert series is hosted by the Gateway Regional Arts Center in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky and is the perfect intimate venue to enjoy local music and have a peek at the inspiration and process behind the songs. 
Derek wowed the crowd with his original song stories and he shared with the audience the connection those stories have to his life in Eastern Kentucky. Give the show a listen, the player and download link are posted below. And check out Derek's website for tour dates and more. 

Derek Spencer Website: ​ www.derekspencermusic.com
Derek on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekspencermusic/

Kickin' It On The Creek 2019 was a phenomenal experience for music lovers and artists alike who traveled to the beautiful holler on Ross Creek in Estill County, Kentucky. The week was full and overflowing with love and incredible performances.  We owe the Roberts family a huge thank you for their donation of a pair of passes for this year's festival. Also, a tremendous thanks goes to the KIOTC family. We were able to raise $600 toward a vital equipment upgrade for the station. We are grateful for the generosity of Kentucky's music community! 

Byron Roberts and his family have been hosting the festival in their front yard for five years now, and this was Pickup Country's third year in attendance. This year, Ryan and I had the most perfect camp location and as always, we were treated with the best hospitality to be found.

​During the festival, we reconnected with music scene friends and made tons of new friends who share our appreciation for great songs and sweet Appalachia. And being there is like swimming in a sea of talent - from the musicians to the craft vendors, the sound and lighting crews to the spider monkey media folks. The lineup was nearly unbeatable for any stage anywhere. But also, in every holler hideaway of Wolfpen Branch you'd find a circle of pickers jamming away and I'm pretty sure the "Wook Nook" played and howled until sunrise.

It really is one of those "you have to be there to get it" kind of things that I often refer to as a bucket list event. By that I mean that if you love music and attending Kickin' It On The Creek isn't on your list of things you must do before you die, you need to at least pencil it in there somewhere. And if my poor writing doesn't convince you, I ask you to give one of the upcoming KIOTC pre-shows a try and you'll see what I'm talking about.

As I sort through and edit the music captured for airplay, I'll be updating our blog with KIOTC highlights and additions to our library. Until then, I leave you with some memories we snapped, many behind the scenes. 

~Angela

On September 4th, 2019, our Irvine studio was officially opened in a grand way. The Pickup Country WSKV family along with our partners Alight Marketing, were surrounded by family, friends, clients and community leaders to celebrate the big day. We are still in awe of the support shown for our new endeavor and we owe a ton of thanks to everyone who made our big day so special. 

A huge thank you to the following, including (but not limited to):
Central Bank
Meades Do It Center
The Estill County Chamber of Commerce
​Estill Development Alliance
The Montgomery County- Mt. Sterling Chamber of Commerce
Steam Engine Pizza Pub
Peter Hille, Ariel Fugate and all the wonderful folks from MACED
Irvine, Kentucky Mayor, James Gross
Byron Roberts of Wolfpen Productions and host of Estill County's "Kickin' It on the Creek" music festival
Singer songwriter and musician, Lance Rogers
Photographer Lauren Rothenhauser of Illumi Studio
Ravenna Florist
And special thanks to everyone who attended!

Check out the video and photos below. 
https://www.facebook.com/macedky/videos/2337207939709807/

We wondered what that would look like too. And boy did these fellas show us! The Wooks performed on the  Kickin' It On The Creek stage for one and a half hours on Friday night and came back 'lectrified on Saturday night playing a solid two hour set! The crowd went wild over the Wooks last year and both are set to play again at this year's festival.
Wook out to your hearts content at their official website below:
http://www.wookoutamerica.com/
​Or find them on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wookoutamerica/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1529814747032421/

We grabbed some of our favorite tracks from the 'lectrified performance to share during Saturday night's broadcast of "Kickin' It" a couple of weeks ago and thought you may enjoy hearing it as a podcast. Please, enjoy responsibly. Don't wook and drive! (Or if you do, drive safely!)

The 5th Annual Kickin' It On The Creek Season has begun and so have the pre-parties! The first was held June 14th at the Steam Engine Pizza Pub Session Room and a second was, August 30th at Country Boy Brewing's Georgetown Taproom with featured artists, the Ross Creek All Stars with special guest Geno Seale. The KIOTC pre parties are the last opportunity to get a free chances to win passes to the KIOTC Festival, and it's always a great time to gather with the Kickin' It family and get good and fired up ready to head to little Ross Creek!