Golden Valley Clinic Shares How It Monitors COVID-19 Patients Recovering at Home

The Hennepin Healthcare Golden Valley Clinic makes it easier for COVID-19 patients to recover at home while also being monitored by health care professionals.

Minnesota continues to see a spike in COVID-19 cases. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department Of Health reported 5,945 cases. Hospitals like Hennepin Healthcare are full of COVID-19 patients. Staff want to keep hospital beds open for the sickest of the sick.

Hennepin Healthcare doctors work on COVID-19 patient. Courtesy: Hennepin Healthcare

70-year-old Stanzer Knox was diagnosed with COVID-19 two weeks ago. But he didn’t need to be hospitalized. “I just kept coughing, and coughing,” he said.

Doctors enrolled Knox in the Hennepin Healthcare COVID-19 Home Monitoring Program. He was given a care package with food and medical equipment to check his oxygen level.

“With COVID-19, there’s something called silent hypoxia, and that’s where your oxygen level can drop very quickly without you even realizing it, and so have that machine at home allows you to catch that before it happens,” explained Natalie Ikeman, Hennepin Healthcare Physician Assistant. She’s also the Director of the COVID-19 Home Monitoring Program.

Each day Knox would check in with health care professionals. “Every time I gave them a reading, they were like, you’re doing great,” said Knox.

The Minneapolis resident says the program gave him peace of mind. “I’m very thankful for them.”

Golden Valley