Health centers take measures to protect high-risk patients

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Heritage Home Health & Hospice, like many care centers around the nation, is proceeding with caution when it comes to high-risk patients.

According to Medical Director Zachary Warnock, the group is making constant adjustments to comply with CDC guidelines. Changing the way patients are contacted and the number of people that come in contact with them are top priorities.

"We're taking measures like trying to coordinate so that one nurse is at one facility and seeing all the patients there rather than multiple nurses coming in and out of multiple facilities," he said. "We're just trying to reduce the chances of that sick person-to-person contact."

Warnock estimates that there might be "tens of millions or hundreds of millions" of cases by fall, but says people should remain optimistic since a "very small percentage" of all people will need critical care.

"We're gonna get through this," he said. "Don't buy into the fear and the panic."