Castleview Hospital Press Release
It probably feels as if coronavirus – or as it is officially known, COVID-19 – is all anyone is talking about these days. As COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses like the seasonal flu continue to spread across the U.S., you also may feel a certain level of concern over how this disease could affect you or your loved ones, or if your local healthcare provider is prepared to respond to any local cases that may arise. That’s certainly understandable and natural. We want to provide you with essential information outlining what we are doing to stay prepared and offer you guidance on what you can do to help protect yourself, your family and our community.
What We Are Doing
Castleview Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality care and ensuring the safety of our patients, employees, providers, volunteers and visitors at all times. While COVID-19 is new, effectively responding to other infectious diseases is not. We have tested processes and plans in place to respond to situations involving infectious disease year-round. Here is what we are doing to stay ready and effectively respond to COVID-19:
- We continue to work closely with Southeastern Utah Health Department, Utah Department of Health, local EMS and follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that we are prepared with appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond should anyone in our community contract or be exposed to COVID-19.
- We have a robust emergency operations plan in place and are reviewing and proactively completing a number of preparation checklists out of an abundance of caution.
- We have hand hygiene products easily accessible throughout our facility.
- Staff treating a potential COVID-19 case are provided with all appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to help prevent exposure.
- Patients with respiratory or COVID-19-related symptoms are immediately provided masks to wear to help prevent exposure to others.
- In the event that we identify a potential COVID-19 case, we will follow all CDC guidelines for placing that individual in isolation for their care and for the protection of other patients, employees and approved visitors.
As of March 18, 2020, we have limited entry points to our facility and are screening everyone – employees, patients and the limited permissible visitors (zero visitors are permitted with some exceptions for obstetrics patients, pediatric patients and end-of-life care). The following provides additional detail about both safety measures:
Limited Entry Points: Until otherwise notified, everyone entering the facility should come through the emergency department entry. All other entry points will be closed until further notice.
Screening Process: All patients, staff and permissible visitors entering the facility will be screened with questions regarding respiratory symptoms, travel history and temperature check per CDC recommendations. Individuals with symptoms will immediately be provided masks and managed per CDC guidelines. Based on the screening, individuals may also be asked to take their temperature, speak further with someone or come back at a later date. Screening will occur upon every entry.
We know that these increased precautions may seem concerning. We do not want to cause alarm – but we do want to send a clear message to our community that we are prepared, responding appropriately and are committed to protecting the well-being of our patients, visitors, employees and community.
These increased safety measures do NOT mean that you cannot access the hospital or your providers. Please seek medical care as needed. And if you are concerned you may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, call your provider in advance of going to his or her office. Of course, if you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
Castleview Hospital values the trust our community places in us, and we appreciate your understanding as we shift our visitation policies during this time.
What You Can Do
It’s easy to feel helpless when faced with a barrage of news reports and social media updates regarding COVID-19. The good news is that there are some key steps you can take to help protect you and your loved ones and help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19:
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Staying home when you are sick
- Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash
- Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces, including your phone, computer, remote controls and doorknobs
- Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
- Using an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available (Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty)
- Practicing social distancing behaviors, including working from home, avoiding public gatherings and unnecessary travel, and maintaining a distance of approximately six feet from others when possible.
What to Do if You Are Experiencing Symptoms
First and foremost – if you are having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or go directly to the emergency room. If possible, notify the dispatch agent that your emergency involves symptoms possibly related to COVID-19.
For non-emergency needs, if you need medical attention due to respiratory illness symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and plan to visit our hospital, your primary care provider or an urgent clinic, please call ahead before you go and let them know that you are experiencing symptoms that may possibly be related to COVID-19. This will allow providers to properly prepare for your visit and take the necessary precautions to keep others from being infected or exposed.
Please be reassured that our number one priority is the health and well-being of our community – and that includes you. We are prepared to manage an outbreak of respiratory illness, and we encourage you to follow the guidance above and stay tuned to updates from the CDC to help protect you and your loved ones. Keeping our community healthy is a community effort, and we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our community healthy today and for generations to come.
For more information and to stay abreast of the latest updates on COVID-19, you can visit Utah Department of Health at https://coronavirus.utah.gov, Southeast Utah Health Department at https://www.seuhealth.com and Centers for Disease Control at https://www.cdc.gov.
If you have questions about COVID-19 you can call the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1.800.456.7707.
Castleview Hospital has a coronavirus preparedness information page on our website at https://www.castleviewhospital.net/coronavirus-covid-19-preparedness-information that includes the above resources so you have all the information in one place.