Sunday, July 5, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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Never has health care been more critical and important to personal and community well-being than it is right now.
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global and local economies, not to mention how we live and work, and how we interact — or not — with others.
While social distancing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the mandates Gov. Steve Sisolak put in place to slow the spread of the virus protect us, social distancing has affected human health in another way. We find that people are not seeking medical attention for other conditions.
This includes possible life-threatening conditions such as cardiac events, possible strokes and even well-care visits and vaccines for children and infants. In short, people have been concerned about going into any medical facility unless the situation is dire.
Recognizing that our voices are more powerful when combined, the two of us are coming together to encourage not only our constituents throughout the city of Las Vegas and Clark County, but all Southern Nevadans, to take stock of their current health situation and make their appointments to see their physicians and specialists now. Doctors are ready to see you, and we ask that you don’t put it off any longer.
We are confident that Southern Nevada’s health care community — which includes hospitals, surgical and diagnostic centers, doctors’ offices, treatment centers and others — is taking the situation very seriously. They are putting into practice protocols to protect you and their teams as they begin to reopen their medical practices in what has been coined our new “normal.”
In fact, no one knows how to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus better than our health care community. Nevadans with chronic health conditions that require special management from health care professionals should trust that hospitals like those in the Las Vegas medical district, including University Medical Center and Valley Hospitals, are working overtime to ensure they are following all safety protocols while preserving the ability to effectively treat patients and provide them with access to the procedures they need to maintain optimum health.
Also, the UNLV School of Medicine has been on the forefront of COVID-19 testing by offering free tests to those in need. Yet another example is the UNLV School of Dental Medicine, also located in the medical district, which has implemented special air handling units and other safety protocols to ensure they can safely provide critical dental services at this time.
Like most businesses, our hospitals, doctors and ancillary medical providers have also suffered. They too have lost significant revenue over the past several weeks as a result of their intense and sole focus on COVID-19, setting aside elective and proactive surgeries and medical procedures intended to maintain patients’ good health. That good health is now in jeopardy because of delays in performing critical diagnostic and medical procedures. All Southern Nevadans are entitled to and deserve good health.
As Las Vegas begins to emerge from valiantly staying at home and as businesses are allowed to begin to carefully reopen, we encourage everyone in our community to see their doctors, their dentists and their medical providers.
Taking care of your personal health is something that cannot and should not wait. In fact, seeking medical attention is imperative not only for personal health but for the overall good health of our community.
As the global medical and scientific community continues to work toward the development of a vaccine, we cannot afford to let COVID-19 get in the way of preserving overall personal and public health. We have too much at stake to delay taking care of ourselves, our families and our communities.
To stay healthy and eventually reopen our state, we need everyone to be in good health. Your doctor, your dentist, your primary care physician and your medical provider are ready to see you. Please call them.
Marilyn Kirkpatrick is chair of the Clark County Commission. Brian Knudsen is the Las Vegas city councilman for Ward 1. The two are board members of the Southern Nevada Health District, and Knudsen also serves as a member of the advisory committee of the Las Vegas Medical District.
