By Dana Martinez, Staff writer

GALLUP — Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services announced Tuesday they have joined two other organizations to form a task force that is handling the challenge of housing homeless respiratory patients in need of a space to self-isolate while waiting for coronavirus test results.


The hospital has teamed with the Gallup Indian Medical Center and the nonprofit organization Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment.


The task force was grappling with the issue in tandem with the state. The local task force and the governor’s office contacted El Rancho Hotel to discuss how they could help. They offered up a separate building and, on Thursday, the Ranch House Motel housed its first patients.


While the jump from needing a space to having a space is short in a sentence, the situation was set up with the utmost detail.


The rooms for the patients are in a separate building located across the parking lot from the main hotel. While El Rancho is open for business, no one will be in contact with the patients.


The separate building has enough space for up to 20 homeless individuals. The individuals are those who have either tested for the virus and are waiting for results or for those who have symptoms that need daily monitoring, but are not sick enough to be hospitalized.

It starts with a medical referral. When an RMCH or GIMC provider refers a patient, the provider calls the hotel and registration is handled over the phone. Transportation is provided. El Rancho’s security opens the door when the patient arrives. The patients are not given room keys. El Rancho has hired extra security to watch the rooms at all times.


The patient must be independent with daily living activities and not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, nor likely to withdraw from alcohol or other substances.


Nurses or providers will check on the patient by phone on a daily basis to assess their symptoms as test results are pending. El Rancho provides meals, leaving them outside the doors of each room.

Patients will be released when they are no longer considered infectious. The room remains vacant for 24 hours and is then cleaned thoroughly.


“El Rancho has a strict cleaning protocol for the entire hotel, using CDC guidelines,” the press release stated. “These same guidelines apply for cleaning patient rooms.”


The statement further read, “While no solution is perfect and without its bumps, it is a workable solution for now. The most important thing is to keep the patient safe and to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. The task force continues to meet to make plans should the number of patients exceed the number of rooms available.”