PARIS, TN – As changes continue to be announced by Federal, State, and Local governments, Henry County Medical Center continues to have updates to its services and visitation guidelines to ensure that our patients, partners, and community continue to be safe during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Yesterday, Governor Lee announced Executive Order 18, which dictates that hospitals and outpatient facilities are prohibited from performing non-essential procedures, which include any medical procedure that is not necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve the health and safety of a patient, as determined by a licensed medical provider. At a minimum, prohibited procedures include joint replacement, bariatric surgery and cosmetic surgery, except for emergency or trauma-related surgery where postponement significantly would impact the health, safety or welfare of the patient.

Because of this order, Henry County Medical Center has closed the HCMC Surgery Center and is only doing essential surgeries at the hospital. Surgeons representing all services provided at HCMC have developed a committee to review and move forward surgeries that must be performed for patients.

With this announcement, all Total Joint Replacement Educational Classes which are offered every Tuesday are now cancelled and patients will be called when surgeries can be resumed.

The hope is that surgeries can resume again after April 13, 2020.

HCMC is also adjusting its Entrance Access to patients and visitors effective immediately. The two front entrances will be locked daily to patients/support persons from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will be locked on the weekends starting at 5 p.m. on Friday to open at 5 a.m. on Monday. The Emergency Department entrance will be open 24 hours a day.

This is not affecting our outpatient diagnostic testing being done at the HCMC Diagnostic Center. Their policy that went into effect on March 20, 2020, still stands:

If you have a fever or cough, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER.
Call the Diagnostic Center and you will be given instructions on how to proceed. The number is 731-644-8233.
Only ONE support person per patient will be allowed in the Diagnostic Center. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO WAIT IN THE WAITING ROOM.
To protect all patients, NO CHILDREN WILL BE ALLOWED under the age of 18 in Diagnostic Center unless they are the patient.
Mandatory temperature checks will be taken on all patients entering the HCMC Diagnostic Center.

HCMC Center for Wellness & Rehab has also been following a very similar policy and is as follows:

If you have a fever or cough, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER.
NO visitors under the age of 18.
Mandatory temperature checks will be taken on all patients entering HCMC Center for Wellness & Rehab.

HCMC Cardiac Rehab will continue to be open daily for patients. The guidelines for Cardiac Rehab are as follows:

Stay home if you are not feeling well. If you have fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, or fatigue, please stay home.
Mandatory temperature checks will be taken on all patients entering Cardiac Rehab.
No more than 10 people total are allowed in Cardiac Rehab at one time.
Please limit exercise to ONE hour to allow for other patients to exercise within our patient limits based on our new guidelines.
Continue to clean equipment before and after exercising and wash your hands with soap and water where available or hand sanitizer.

Dr. Wayne Gibson and Cindy Norman, NP, are accepting office visits for heart patients at the Paris Henry County Office of Saint Thomas Heart located in the HCMC Kelley Clinic. All other Saint Thomas physicians’ offices in Henry County are closed.

HCMC Administration continues to follow the CDC guidelines as well as the TN Department of Health guidelines to ensure the safety of our patients, families, partners, and community.

How you can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses such as Coronavirus:

Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then discard in a trash.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

HCMC is making every effort to educate and inform the public on ways to remain healthy through our website and our social media outlets, including specifically rigorous and frequent hand washing. Please check back often for updates including a section dedicated to COVID-19. For additional information, watch a video from our Community Pop Up event on coronavirus here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-iA5IPc4G8&t=3s

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your health care provider. To learn more, go to our website at www.hcmc-tn.org or go to the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

Located in Paris, TN, Henry County Medical Center is a progressive, integrated healthcare organization committed to serving the healthcare needs of Henry County and the adjoining region. Including a 142-bed hospital and other facilities, the medical center provides a variety of outpatient services, as well as inpatient care. Additionally, HCMC owns and operates 8 provider clinics in various specialties. Henry County Medical Center is a county-owned and operated nonprofit institution. For more information: www.hcmc-tn.org.