In an effort to preserve our workforce and protect our employees, associates, volunteers, and patients, Great River Health will implement clinical masking *effective Friday, December 22, 2023*. Face masks will be required in all clinical care areas for any individual entering the clinical care area.  Face masks will not be required in non-clinical areas.

• Clinical areas: Places where patients receive care, including testing. This includes inpatient units (including nurses’ stations and hallways), Outpatient Laboratory, Day Hospital, Diagnostic Imaging, and clinic spaces (including the registration areas and waiting rooms).
• Non-Clinical areas: Hallways that are not in inpatient units, offices, conference rooms and the cafeteria.

This decision will be re-evaluated on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Effective Friday, December 22, clinical masking is required for all employees in patient care areas. Eyewear is strongly recommended and encouraged.

Airborne Precautions continue to be followed for the below scenarios:

• Patients under investigation for COVID-19, and present with COVID-19 symptoms
• While performing an aerosol-generating procedure on patients under investigation for COVID-19 or COVID-positive patients
• Responding in emergency situations
• Patients with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis

Requirements for Airborne precautions are in the Isolation and Standard Precautions Plan. Please review this plan in PolicyStat if you need to become more familiar with the practices required for Airborne Precautions.

The organization will not refuse care to individuals refusing to wear face masks.

Another political candidate came to Mt. Pleasant, as Vivek Ramaswamy met with citizens at Pizza Ranch on Thursday afternoon. With the republican caucus less than one month away, Ramaswamy is not slowing down his pursuit through the state, but rather multiplying it. By January 15^th, he plans to complete his 2^nd “full Grassley” which is visiting all 99 counties in Iowa.

The former Iowa Secretary of State, Matt Schultz, started things off introducing the candidate. He has previously worked for both Santorum and Cruz, who both won the Iowa caucus in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Ramaswamy then commented on the republican party as a whole, saying that they have “grown lazy.” He believes that the party gets angry about all things the other party stands for, yet fails to stand for what they believe in.

After mentioning that he plans to use the United States military to secure both the southern and norther border, he was met by loud applause. He also said that election day needs to be a national holiday.

“Every politician dances to the tune of their greatest donor… I am my biggest donor.”

Ramaswamy opened the room up for questions, in which he was asked about cutting the price of drugs, and what his thoughts are on the Department of Justice. He also spoke openly of his Hindu faith, saying that he is the best candidate to uphold the values of faith. He mentioned how he is not running to become a pastor, but rather to be president.

He finished the event at Pizza Ranch by telling the people that our country’s best days can be ahead of us. He doesn’t believe we need to strive to be like the great generations in the past, but rather we can exceed them.

This certainly won’t be the last time a presidential candidate visits Mt. Pleasant in the next few weeks. Iowa is a crucial state to these candidates, and you can expect to see them traveling through our communities in order to drum up support.

The Iowa State Patrol initiated a traffic stop on a white 2022 Lexus on December 20^th. The vehicle fled the traffic stop and a pursuit would take place across Highway 2 and County Road X23 in Lee County. The subject abandoned the vehicle around Hillcrest Road and 227^th Street just off Highway 2, and then fled into the wooded area. At that time, the subject was known to be a black male wearing a light gray top with dreadlocks.

Members from the Iowa State Patrol, Lee County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Madison Police Department, Lee County Conservation, and the Keokuk Police Department, were among the agencies that established a perimeter shortly before 11 am and deployed personnel on foot as well as K-9’s and aerial drones.

Authorities were alerted by residents within the search perimeter that they had observed a subject matching the suspect description moving through a field and a creek area. As law enforcement approached around 2:30pm, the subject made an unsuccessful attempt to flee. He was taken into custody.

He then indicated that he was a minor and provided a name and identifying information that could not be confirmed. John Doe was the name given to him at the time of the arrest, as he was charged with felony eluding.

Through facial recognition software, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department was able to identify the subject as 20-year-old Kaylin Lashun Dorsey of Texas. Kaylin Dorsey has multiple warrants out of Texas and is listed as a missing person in New York. The matter continues to be under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol, with additional charges to follow.

On December 19^th, 2023, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a hit and run collision in the 300 block of East Oak Street in Salem, IA.  An investigation into the incident determined a 2010 Toyota Scion XD had been legally parked along the curb.  Sometime between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., the night before, the vehicle was struck and received damage to the driver’s side rear.  During the investigation, a suspect vehicle was located.  The offending vehicle, a 2008 Hyundai Veracruz, was also located in the 300 block of East Oak Street.  Owners of the vehicles were notified, and a collision report was issued to the involved parties.

On December 20^th, 2023, at approximately 12:31 pm, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a two-vehicle collision in the 200 block of Main Street in Salem. An investigation into the collision determined a 2016 Chrysler Town & Country, driven by Mercedes Ellard, 31, of Fairfield, was travelling northbound on Main Street and at the same time a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Michael Woll, 20, of Salem, was travelling east on W Van Buren Street. The Woll vehicle failed to yield at a stop sign and drove out in front of the Ellard vehicle causing a collision. The occupants of both vehicles were uninjured.

The damage to the Woll vehicle was estimating to be $8,000 rendering it disabled and the damage to the Ellard vehicle was estimated to be $6,000.

On December 19^th, 2023, at approximately 12:20 pm, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of a single vehicle collision in the 3000 grid of Franklin Avenue. An investigation into the collision determined a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Dawn Tomson, 54 of Salem, was traveling southbound on Franklin Avenue when the vehicle left the roadway. The vehicle crossed over northbound lane entering the east side ditch. The vehicle collided with the embankment of 300^th street and rolled onto its side. The occupant had to be removed by non-mechanical means and was transported to an area hospital.

The damage to the vehicle was estimated to be $10,000, rendering it to be a total loss. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Iowa State Patrol Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit, Salem Fire and Rescue, and the Henry County Health Center Ambulance.