A alumnus and emergency room doctor is getting global attention for moving into his kids¡¯ backyard treehouse to self-isolate from his family as he treats patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Barnes is the director of emergency services for the Christus Spohn South hospitals in Corpus Christi and Beeville, Texas. He earned his MD from UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s in 2011. He also earned his bachelor¡¯s degree in nursing from and his paramedics certification from .
Barnes¡¯ treehouse quarantine has gotten widespread attention from news outlets and social media, including and .
In an email to the school, his mother Julian DeLara, who is a former Â鶹´«Ã½ resident, said, “Out of concern regarding keeping his family safe while serving the community he loves, he and his beautiful wife, Jenna, have devised a way for him to stay close to his family while achieving the security of social distancing.”
In his capacity at the hospitals in Corpus Christi and Beeville, Barnes is a fixture in the emergency rooms. This has placed him in direct contact with COVID-19 cases.
Barnes checks numbers across the nation each day, including Â鶹´«Ã½.
“My wife jokingly suggested the backyard treehouse,” he said. The treehouse was built for his two sons, Bently, 9, and Kyle, 6. With the addition of an air conditioner, a commode, a bunk bed and a hammock, Barnes was set.
“I know some other guys who sleep in their garage, or have a room at home with a private entrance,” Barnes said. “There isn¡¯t a doctor around who hasn¡¯t asked themselves if they should stay away from the family because of COVID-19. The treehouse is cartoonish and quirky, but the situation is not. I¡¯d rather be in bed inside, and hug the kids, and kiss my wife goodnight.”
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