Tidelands Health has launched a comprehensive, coordinated care and treatment program for those who have survived COVID-19 but continue to have a range of medical issues for weeks and even months after their initial infection.
The Tidelands Health Post-COVID19 Recovery Program is open to anyone whose symptoms – joint pain, fatigue, chronic cough, anxiety, and more – linger long after their infection and interfere with their ability to return to work or resume their favorite activities. The Tidelands Health Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program is available to anyone – not just patients who were treated for COVID-19 at Tidelands Health - whose symptoms have persisted for at least three weeks since their initial COVID-19 diagnosis. Individuals who would like to schedule an appointment should call 1-866-TIDELANDS.
Selected Podcast
Tidelands Health Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program
Featured Speaker:
William Epperson, MD
Dr. William Jackson Epperson is a family medicine physician at Tidelands Health Family Medicine at Prince Creek. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Transcription:
Better health begins at Tidelands Health, dedicated to keeping the communities we serve healthy and active. That's why we're proud to present our podcast series, Better Health Radio brought to you by Tidelands Health. Here's Bill Klaproth.
Bill Klaproth: Tidelands Health has launched a comprehensive, coordinated care and treatment program for those who have survived COVID-19 but continue to have a range of medical issues for weeks or even months after their initial infection. So let's learn more with Dr. William Epperson, Medical Director of Primary Care at Tidelands Health.
Dr. Epperson, it's always great to talk with you. Thank you so much for your time. So, first off, I'm curious, what are the lingering symptoms these long-haulers are still suffering from?
Dr. William Epperson: Yes, there are some prolonged issues that are ongoing with these patients. As we all know, this is a respiratory virus, so much of that is related to their respiratory system. And these individuals will report that they're having problems with their activities, that each day they get short of breath very easily. They find, the ones who were exercising, they can't exercise at the same levels. So overall, they have a decrease in general function of everything because everybody needs a good set of lungs in order to stay active.
Bill Klaproth: This is very, very true. So then when are you considered a long-hauler? How long do these symptoms need to persist?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, it kind of varies with the clinician. We don't have an exact cutoff number. But certainly with somebody who's been having symptoms persisting for three months, for someone who has had what seemed like a full recovery and then later developed some complications. We're kind of putting all them together in the same group.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So you saw the need for a recovery program for these long-haulers, which is really good because these people do need help. So can you tell us about the Tidelands Health Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program?
Dr. William Epperson: Yes, we call our program Stronger After COVID Rehabilitation Program. And the program is developed to address the special needs of patients who've had COVID-19, who are now facing symptoms that they're just not expecting. They want to get back with their regular life and their regular activities of daily living. And they've lost that ability due to some sort of physical complaint. Again, respiratory and fatigue-related are the more common.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So it sounds like their quality of life certainly has dropped with these symptoms. Certainly, these long-haulers are feeling the effects long after getting infected. So who is this program open to?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, the program is open to anyone who has had a COVID-related illness. And so we don't have any limitations on that. And participants in the program, we certainly want them to have a medical clearance and we prefer the order written by their primary care physician, hospitalist, the cardiologist or pulmonary physician.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So for someone who is interested in this program, what is the first step? How does this work?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, the first step is hopefully they already have a connection with a physician. And a primary care physician can review with them what their symptoms are. And then initial contact is through their primary care provider, physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant.
Bill Klaproth: So then tell us about your approach. I know you talked about the different lingering symptoms. What is your approach then to treating these long-haulers? Everybody is different. I'm sure there's an individualized kind of a care plan for each person. Is that right?
Dr. William Epperson: That's correct. And again, the patients are very, very diverse in how the COVID affected them. There are some patients who developed COVID and they never got better. They are continuing to face respiratory symptoms, fatigue and they're just miserable for even months afterwards. Thankfully, that's a few in number, but there are those who have very significant issues ongoing. We hear news stories of patients being in the hospital for 200 or 300 days and then finally getting out and they are in terrible shape so many of them from muscle wasting, reduced activity and nutritional challenges while they're in such a debilitated state.
Bill Klaproth: And then for this individualized approach, can you talk about the care team that you've assembled, these specialists, if you will, that are available to each person as needed?
Dr. William Epperson: The first thing that happens is of course they will be evaluated by a primary care provider to see what their symptoms are and knowing that there are many times that COVID-like symptoms could be caused by other things. The patient may have underlying emphysema or heart failure. And it's not COVID-related at all. It could be cardiac-wise. So as patients enter into this treatment plan, we keep a very open mind to make sure we're treating all issues that are ongoing and not just the COVID-related issues that it may or may not be related to that.
And in this, we of course have our pulmonary contacts, is our main source of referral with this. We have a great program with our physical therapy team. COVID patients greatly need rehabilitation and they're deconditioning. If you're in good fitness, we call that conditioning. And being physically fit can go away when you have COVID because you're debilitated for so long and we need for them to be reconditioned and put back into where they can exercise and be active without so my shortness of breath and fatigue.
Bill Klaproth: That sounds good. And I guess there is good news in this from what you were just saying, that when you drill down onto each patient's condition, sometimes you find some underlying conditions. So the good news is that once you really get in there and figure out what's going on, you are able to help this person and they can get out of this long-hauler syndrome, if you will. Is that right?
Dr. William Epperson: That is correct. And I think it's important to not separate medical illness from the effects it has on us personally, emotionally, mental health-wise. Having prolonged COVID would make any normal person feel depressed. It would make them feel very low in a mental state. And I found it very healing for a lot of patients just to learn that I've seen other patients with exactly your symptoms and giving them the support of knowing that it's okay that what they have is related to the COVID and then the vast majority do get better and that they're not making this up. It's very real.
Bill Klaproth: Right. That mental condition, if you will, or the mental aspects of this, the toll it takes on you mentally is something we shouldn't forget about either, right? It's not just physical. Mentally, this can really be draining on a person.
Dr. William Epperson: Absolutely. When we hear stories of a 50-year-old man who runs two to three miles a day having COVID and, while he's in the hospital, he can't even get up to go to the bathroom. And when he gets out, he has trouble walking from the hospital door to get in the car. And that is so devastating for an individual who's used to being very active. And so many things should come on and it makes an intense anxiety, fear of dying, fear of not getting better. And a lot of what I do is really to be a cheerleader, to give a pep talk, to let them know that others experience this. And please understand that you have a far greater chance of improving and this becoming a memory instead of a constant burden.
Bill Klaproth: That's a good way to put it. And that's what we want. We want it to be a memory in the past as these people assume their normal activities in health once again. Is there anything else we should know, Dr. Epperson, about the program? Any final words?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, in the program. If you don't know if you qualify, go ahead and contact us. We're not going to be in a situation of saying, "Well, you know, why'd you call us?" and that sort of thing. And we're going to identify patients who have other problems that they thought were related to COVID and our physicians are quite used to this.
Many of the patients who've had COVID were on the ventilator. There are some very substantial problems that occur with the upper respiratory tree because they had the tube in their throat, and so many things that need to be checked and understood. So the gamut of COVID, anybody who just had it and they stayed at home versus those who were in the hospital versus those on the ventilator. And we as professionals, we have them every day coming to our practices and we're available to find out what your needs are and to support you through this process.
Bill Klaproth: Absolutely. Well, the program is called the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program available at Tidelands Health. And to schedule an appointment or to learn more information, you can call 1-866-TIDELANDS to find that information out. Dr. Epperson, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate this.
Dr. William Epperson: Thank you, Bill. Appreciate the opportunity.
Bill Klaproth: And once again, that's Dr. William Epperson. And if you'd like more information, you can call 1-866-TIDELANDS or visit them online at tidelandshealth.org for more information or to schedule an appointment. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Better Health Radio. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Better health begins at Tidelands Health, dedicated to keeping the communities we serve healthy and active. That's why we're proud to present our podcast series, Better Health Radio brought to you by Tidelands Health. Here's Bill Klaproth.
Bill Klaproth: Tidelands Health has launched a comprehensive, coordinated care and treatment program for those who have survived COVID-19 but continue to have a range of medical issues for weeks or even months after their initial infection. So let's learn more with Dr. William Epperson, Medical Director of Primary Care at Tidelands Health.
Dr. Epperson, it's always great to talk with you. Thank you so much for your time. So, first off, I'm curious, what are the lingering symptoms these long-haulers are still suffering from?
Dr. William Epperson: Yes, there are some prolonged issues that are ongoing with these patients. As we all know, this is a respiratory virus, so much of that is related to their respiratory system. And these individuals will report that they're having problems with their activities, that each day they get short of breath very easily. They find, the ones who were exercising, they can't exercise at the same levels. So overall, they have a decrease in general function of everything because everybody needs a good set of lungs in order to stay active.
Bill Klaproth: This is very, very true. So then when are you considered a long-hauler? How long do these symptoms need to persist?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, it kind of varies with the clinician. We don't have an exact cutoff number. But certainly with somebody who's been having symptoms persisting for three months, for someone who has had what seemed like a full recovery and then later developed some complications. We're kind of putting all them together in the same group.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So you saw the need for a recovery program for these long-haulers, which is really good because these people do need help. So can you tell us about the Tidelands Health Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program?
Dr. William Epperson: Yes, we call our program Stronger After COVID Rehabilitation Program. And the program is developed to address the special needs of patients who've had COVID-19, who are now facing symptoms that they're just not expecting. They want to get back with their regular life and their regular activities of daily living. And they've lost that ability due to some sort of physical complaint. Again, respiratory and fatigue-related are the more common.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So it sounds like their quality of life certainly has dropped with these symptoms. Certainly, these long-haulers are feeling the effects long after getting infected. So who is this program open to?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, the program is open to anyone who has had a COVID-related illness. And so we don't have any limitations on that. And participants in the program, we certainly want them to have a medical clearance and we prefer the order written by their primary care physician, hospitalist, the cardiologist or pulmonary physician.
Bill Klaproth: Right. So for someone who is interested in this program, what is the first step? How does this work?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, the first step is hopefully they already have a connection with a physician. And a primary care physician can review with them what their symptoms are. And then initial contact is through their primary care provider, physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant.
Bill Klaproth: So then tell us about your approach. I know you talked about the different lingering symptoms. What is your approach then to treating these long-haulers? Everybody is different. I'm sure there's an individualized kind of a care plan for each person. Is that right?
Dr. William Epperson: That's correct. And again, the patients are very, very diverse in how the COVID affected them. There are some patients who developed COVID and they never got better. They are continuing to face respiratory symptoms, fatigue and they're just miserable for even months afterwards. Thankfully, that's a few in number, but there are those who have very significant issues ongoing. We hear news stories of patients being in the hospital for 200 or 300 days and then finally getting out and they are in terrible shape so many of them from muscle wasting, reduced activity and nutritional challenges while they're in such a debilitated state.
Bill Klaproth: And then for this individualized approach, can you talk about the care team that you've assembled, these specialists, if you will, that are available to each person as needed?
Dr. William Epperson: The first thing that happens is of course they will be evaluated by a primary care provider to see what their symptoms are and knowing that there are many times that COVID-like symptoms could be caused by other things. The patient may have underlying emphysema or heart failure. And it's not COVID-related at all. It could be cardiac-wise. So as patients enter into this treatment plan, we keep a very open mind to make sure we're treating all issues that are ongoing and not just the COVID-related issues that it may or may not be related to that.
And in this, we of course have our pulmonary contacts, is our main source of referral with this. We have a great program with our physical therapy team. COVID patients greatly need rehabilitation and they're deconditioning. If you're in good fitness, we call that conditioning. And being physically fit can go away when you have COVID because you're debilitated for so long and we need for them to be reconditioned and put back into where they can exercise and be active without so my shortness of breath and fatigue.
Bill Klaproth: That sounds good. And I guess there is good news in this from what you were just saying, that when you drill down onto each patient's condition, sometimes you find some underlying conditions. So the good news is that once you really get in there and figure out what's going on, you are able to help this person and they can get out of this long-hauler syndrome, if you will. Is that right?
Dr. William Epperson: That is correct. And I think it's important to not separate medical illness from the effects it has on us personally, emotionally, mental health-wise. Having prolonged COVID would make any normal person feel depressed. It would make them feel very low in a mental state. And I found it very healing for a lot of patients just to learn that I've seen other patients with exactly your symptoms and giving them the support of knowing that it's okay that what they have is related to the COVID and then the vast majority do get better and that they're not making this up. It's very real.
Bill Klaproth: Right. That mental condition, if you will, or the mental aspects of this, the toll it takes on you mentally is something we shouldn't forget about either, right? It's not just physical. Mentally, this can really be draining on a person.
Dr. William Epperson: Absolutely. When we hear stories of a 50-year-old man who runs two to three miles a day having COVID and, while he's in the hospital, he can't even get up to go to the bathroom. And when he gets out, he has trouble walking from the hospital door to get in the car. And that is so devastating for an individual who's used to being very active. And so many things should come on and it makes an intense anxiety, fear of dying, fear of not getting better. And a lot of what I do is really to be a cheerleader, to give a pep talk, to let them know that others experience this. And please understand that you have a far greater chance of improving and this becoming a memory instead of a constant burden.
Bill Klaproth: That's a good way to put it. And that's what we want. We want it to be a memory in the past as these people assume their normal activities in health once again. Is there anything else we should know, Dr. Epperson, about the program? Any final words?
Dr. William Epperson: Well, in the program. If you don't know if you qualify, go ahead and contact us. We're not going to be in a situation of saying, "Well, you know, why'd you call us?" and that sort of thing. And we're going to identify patients who have other problems that they thought were related to COVID and our physicians are quite used to this.
Many of the patients who've had COVID were on the ventilator. There are some very substantial problems that occur with the upper respiratory tree because they had the tube in their throat, and so many things that need to be checked and understood. So the gamut of COVID, anybody who just had it and they stayed at home versus those who were in the hospital versus those on the ventilator. And we as professionals, we have them every day coming to our practices and we're available to find out what your needs are and to support you through this process.
Bill Klaproth: Absolutely. Well, the program is called the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program available at Tidelands Health. And to schedule an appointment or to learn more information, you can call 1-866-TIDELANDS to find that information out. Dr. Epperson, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate this.
Dr. William Epperson: Thank you, Bill. Appreciate the opportunity.
Bill Klaproth: And once again, that's Dr. William Epperson. And if you'd like more information, you can call 1-866-TIDELANDS or visit them online at tidelandshealth.org for more information or to schedule an appointment. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Better Health Radio. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.