Las Cruces health clinic employee diagnosed with coronavirus

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- An employee for a government-funded healthcare clinic in Las Cruces has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an internal memo obtained Friday by ABC-7.

"One of our staff members has tested positive for COVID-19," wrote Karen Hall, who is the corporate compliance officer for La Clinica De Familia. "The person is resting and isolating at home with mild symptoms."

In her letter, Hall wrote that clinic co-workers are checking on the affected employee. She said the employee will go back to work once "their symptoms go away and they have a negative test as per CDC and DOH guidelines."

She also said La Clinica De Familia has ordered digital scan (no-touch) thermometers and will begin checking temperatures of all staff members who report to work at all locations.

"Expect to have your temp taken when you arrive, during mid-day and before you leave for the day," Hall wrote.

The employee who provided the memo, and asked to remain anonymous, also wrote a letter expressing concern to New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

"We believe that LCDF is focusing on profit instead of the well-being and safety of its employees, patients and the communities it serves," the employee wrote.

The employee also alleged that management had declined to identify which location the employee works and has not implemented any "cleaning, disinfection and no precautionary measures prior to the incident."

"We are in the front lines and being placed in harms way by administrators who are safely secure working in their own homes," the employee's letter stated.

La Clinica de Familia CEO Virgil Medina told ABC-7 that he "is not at liberty to discuss the specifics of any our staff and/or patients health situation because of confidentiality issues." 

Earlier this week, Medina had acknowledged a shortage of personal protective equipment when he accepted a large donation of face masks from a Las Cruces charity group.

In a statement he sent to ABC-7 on Friday, Medina maintained "LCDF has made every effort possible to keep its staff and patients safe."

"LCDF is adhering and following all known department of health and Centers for Disease Control(CDC) guidelines. LCDF is screening all patients and staff before entering the building, providing adequate protective personal equipment as per CDC guidelines, doing various temperature checks on all staff various times during the day, transitioning visits to telehealth/telephonic modality, seeing patients outside the building in the patient’s car, and only providing essential or urgently needed services," Medina said.