Rep. Roger Marshall Spends Weekend at Southwest Medical Center

LIBERAL – On Saturday morning, U.S. Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D. stopped by SWMC to help COVID-19 patients in Seward County and released the following statement:

“I’ll be spending the weekend in Liberal working in the Southwest Medical Center Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit where I’ll assist with screening, admitting and working with respiratory therapists on managing ventilators in the ICU.

After meeting with hospital officials in Seward County on Wednesday, we observed the increased number of hospitalizations in the community. Liberal is a hot spot right now, and the biggest healthcare challenge in rural America is almost always manpower.

Seward County also expressed the need for additional tests, PPE, and ventilators. We worked with CDC and DHS on the ground to get them more equipment, and they were responsive within minutes.

I am happy to offer my service to alleviate the strain on rural physicians working around the clock. The President and his Administration have done their part, now it’s my time to do everything I can. This isn’t just important to Seward County, but to our state and nation. About a quarter of America’s beef is processed in Southwest Kansas. This is vital for food production and keeping our hospitals, front line professionals and communities up and running.”

As of Friday, Seward County has 528 confirmed cases of COVID-19. That is the third largest case total in the state, behind Ford and Wyandotte Counties. During his visit to Liberal on Wednesday, Rep. Marshall met with Seward County Health Department officials and toured the National Beef facility.