Clinic’s grant enables virus protections

HOT SPRINGS — Cooperative Christian Ministries and Clinic has received a covid-19 adaptation grant from the Arkansas Community Foundation to better protect the organization’s clients, volunteers and staff during the pandemic.

The reconfiguration project was recently completed by Harrison Construction at the nonprofit group’s offices at 133 Arbor St., a news release said.

Before receiving the grant, Cooperative Christian Ministries screened all individuals entering the building and required masks to be worn in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

While the organization still follows these procedures, the grant funds enabled the installation of glass partitions with pass-through slots and speakers, the release said.

A pass-through drawer was installed in the pharmacy so medications can be distributed without staff and patients needing to have any physical contact. The grant also allowed for the installation of a pass-through glass window with a speaker, further limiting contact. Before the adaptation, the pharmacy window was just an open space where medicines were handed directly to patients.

The offices of the patient registrar and the advocacy services coordinator were reconfigured, with walls and windows installed in rooms to allow clients to sit in one half and staff members to sit in the other while still allowing confidential communications to take place.