Month: November 2020

Faith news

Wyandotte County is in Phase 3 under Kansas Ad Astra reopening plan. Local health officials said under Phase 3, people should keep a distance of 6 feet between themselves and others. They may sit closer to people who live in their households. Also, people should wear masks and should wash hands or use hand sanitizer. There is a mask order in effect in Wyandotte County, requiring masks to be worn inside any public space.


Some faith groups will continue holding online or video services. In Wyandotte County, those who are older than 60 or who have other medical conditions should continue being very cautious, according to the Wyandotte County health officials. Those who are sick should stay home, according to officials.


More details about Wyandotte County health guidelines for churches are at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/COVID-19GuidelinesForChurches.pdf.

Residents are advised to visit the social media page of their church or faith organization, or to call them or email them, to see changes that have been made to regular schedules, or if there are video services planned on Sunday.


The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has information about churches reopening, Masses, and reflections, at https://www.facebook.com/archkck.

Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King and Our Lady and St. Rose Catholic churches have resumed in-person Masses. For more information, visit the churches’ websites or Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/Christ-the-King-Parish-KCKS-1392808997677579, https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck, and https://www.facebook.com/ourladyandsaintrose/. Mass is online at https://www.facebook.com/BlessedSacramentkck.


Casa – Worship House Christian Church, 5217 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, has returned to in-person services, including a bilingual service at 11 a.m. Sundays; Spanish service at 7 p.m. Wednesdays; and youth group in English at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The Community Thrift Store is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Masks are required and hand sanitizer is provided. Social distancing is advised. For more information, visit Facebook @casadealabanzaKCKS.


Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kansas, will have services in person with social distancing at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. There will be a livestream service at https://www.facebook.com/opendoorkc/ and https://www.opendoorkc.com/.


Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kansas, plans to livestream at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/StonyPointChristianChurch, and people are welcome to attend the service in person, using social distancing and other health measures.


St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kansas City, Kansas, has a Mass online for Sunday, Nov. 15, at https://www.facebook.com/StPatrickKCK. St. Patrick Church also has in-person Masses.

St. Paul’s Episcopal, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas, will livestream services at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. The parish will observe Christ the King Sunday. See st.paulskck.org and http://www.facebook.comStPaulsKCK.

Sunset Hills Christian Church, 6347 Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas, plans to have services at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information about this Sunday’s plans, visit the Facebook page of Pastor Mike Barnett, https://www.facebook.com/mike.barnett.528. Services are also provided through checkout of DVD or SD Card and can be sent by email upon request. People are welcome to attend the service in person using social distancing and other health measures. Masks are available or bring your own to wear.


Wyandotte United Methodist Church, 7901 Oakland Ave., will have a livestreamed service Sunday, Nov. 15, on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Wyandotteumc/ or online on the website at www.wyandotteumc.com.


Information about other church services in Wyandotte County may be available from the church’s social media page.
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Early treatment for wounds important to prevent complications

When Providence Medical Center opened its Wound Care and Hyperbaric Clinic five years ago, the staff was honored to provide this much needed service to the community, especially those living in the western edge of the Kansas City area, according to a medical center spokesman.

Now, as the center celebrates its five-year anniversary in early November, it has seen a troubling trend as some individuals have been delaying important treatment due to concerns with COVID-19, according to the spokesman.

“Unfortunately, we have seen an alarming increase in patients who have delayed seeking treatment for their wounds. This delay has often resulted in a hospital admission or surgery. Diabetic wounds in particular can get worse quickly when not treated. Severe infection and possible amputation can be the unfortunate outcome.,” said Gregg Morris, a registered nurse who is the director of the Wound Care Center. He added, “The sooner you receive evaluation and treatment the greater the opportunity for wound healing.”

Many wound care patients often have other serious health conditions that complicate their medical treatment.

“Peripheral vascular disease and diabetes are especially debilitating,” stated Wound Care physician, Dr. Douglas Kelling. “Patients with these conditions are complex and require detailed evaluation and treatment to help their wounds heal.”

He added, because complex wounds often require care that takes place over weeks – even months – it is important to treat wounds early in their development to assure proper healing.

The Providence Advanced Wound Care Center, located in Suite 121 of the Doctors Building on the Providence campus, has four examination rooms where patients receive care Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patient appointments can be scheduled at 913-596-7230. Wound Care Center experts provide expert wound care for area patients in western Wyandotte County and surrounding communities including Leavenworth County.

For more information about the Providence Advanced Wound Care Center, call 913-596-7230, or visit www.providencekc.com.

  • Story from Providence Medical Center

Health Department addresses high COVID-19 numbers here

COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County, as announced on the date listed by the UG Health Department.
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County. (UG Health Department graphic)

Rising COVID-19 case numbers in Wyandotte County were the subject of a video posted by the Unified Government Health Department on Friday, Nov. 13.

Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy chief medical officer, said they were very concerned about the numbers. The community will have to work very hard to get the numbers down, she said.

The percent positivity rate in Wyandotte County is still very high, at about 22 percent, Dr. Corriveau said in the video.

Case numbers continue to increase, and are averaging about 65 cases a day, which is very high, she said. They are very concerned about the effect on hospitals.

“We’re seeing that our hospitals are getting to a point currently, where they’re overwhelmed,” she said. “We just don’t have many more beds left.”

Some hospital staff members are out sick with COVID-19, she said. The spread of COVID-19 is getting out of control, she added.

Juliann Van Liew, Health Department director, said people should maintain the basics, and she would ask everyone to remember what they were doing in April to stop the spread of COVID-19.

That might include working from home, or not going inside restaurants to dine in.

“We are extremely concerned and we’ve unfortunately let our guard down as a community,” she said.

“Yes, the social distancing is great, but what’s even better is staying home,” she said in the video. “If you can stay home, we really strongly ask you to do that.”

They know it will be very difficult to do that, with Thanksgiving almost here. She said people need to think about the risk level they will undertake at the holiday. Who will be in the room, who has a pre-existing condition that you could be exposing, what persons are at an age that puts them at higher risk, she asked.

The questions are difficult and demand sacrifice from people, but “it’s where we are right now,” she said, and they are trying to do these measures with everyone.

The video is posted on the UG Health Department’s Facebook page, and also posted on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT5iyooS_b0.

For more information, visit wycokck.org/covid19.

For more information about the new testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.