Poudre Valley Hospital Sends Home 35-Day COVID-19 Patient

The staff at Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH) in Fort Collins sent one of its first COVID-19 patients home this week, and not without a special sendoff.

After 35 days at PVH, a UC Health hospital, Paula Irons of Fort Collins finally got to go home. In a press release, UC Health said that the staff that cared for her discharged her with a Home Sweet Home sign as they wheeled her out to 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor.

At the door, Irons was reunited with family members for the first time in over a month. Her new family at PVH said that they will miss her.

'We are all going to miss Paula,' UCHealth registered nurse Naomi Hayes said in a press release. 'She became part of our family. She’s a sweetheart, and we’ll never forget her.'

UC Health shared that as of Tuesday, April 21, around 550 COVID-19 patients had been released from its facilities; around 185 of those patients in Northern Colorado.