As Memorial Health is returning to providing its full scope of services to patients and the community, the local healthcare system is sharing its readiness plan.
“On behalf of our entire organization, we would like to thank everyone for doing all they can to keep our communities safe,” Chip Hubbs, President and CEO of Memorial Health said. “The COVID-19 numbers in our more rural region and within the walls of Memorial Hospital have been kept very low. Our communities’ efforts have enabled our team to remain healthy and ready to serve as we expand back to the health and wellness services needed.”
From extra safety and cleanliness precautions to heightened infection prevention measures and telehealth services, Memorial is doing everything possible to assure patients of the safe care available at its locations.
“We stand ready to care for you and your family – whether your care is a mammogram or laboratory test, delivering your new baby or providing surgical care, our team is executing a comprehensive safety blueprint to protect you and your health,” Hubbs said.
From the onset of the pandemic, the organization’s Infection Prevention team has been monitoring, reviewing, and enhancing all processes to ensure measures are being taken to protect patients and staff.
The Memorial Environmental Services team is continuously working to keep all areas of Memorial Hospital and all offsite buildings clean and sanitized. Protocols are in place for increased disinfection with hospital-grade products for all high-touch areas, such as door handles, handrails, and bathrooms.
The Memorial materials team has worked hard to build the inventory of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure appropriate levels for Memorial’s team members, patients, and guests as services are resumed. In addition, Memorial was one of the first to partner with Battelle to utilize their decontamination system for N-95 masks, allowing Memorial to continue its vigilant protection of both staff and patients.
Masks are required at all Memorial locations for all staff and as appropriate, for patients.
Visitor and guest restrictions will remain in place for now, as well as the consolidation of public hospital entrances with limited entry hours. The latest updates on Memorial’s visitor policy can be viewed at https://memorialohio.com/safe-care-during-covid19.
Continued temperature and health screenings will occur for patients, visitors and employees.
Seating arrangements within waiting areas will look different as the organization continues to practice social distancing.
At the Memorial Hospital main campus, the Memorial facilities and maintenance department continues to analyze every inch of the hospital, working to implement continuous enhancements as part of the overall strategy, ranging from upgrades to the air filtration system to the installation of Plexiglas partitions in high-traffic areas.
In the Emergency Department, separate areas within the department have been arranged to immediately isolate those who appear infectious from those without infectious medical care needs.
At Memorial Medical Group (MMG) practices, additional cleanings and appointment separations between well patient and ill/acute patients are occurring.
Memorial is continuing to offer HIPAA-compliant telehealth services to existing and new patients, providing a convenient and secure option for care.
The Memorial care team will work to determine the best plan for patients’ upcoming elective surgery/endoscopy procedures and discuss any concerns. Patients will be asked to monitor their symptoms prior to surgery and share any updates with Memorial staff.
Patients who meet certain criteria will need to be tested for COVID-19 prior to their scheduled procedure.
The highest level of safety and sterilization will be continued for the Memorial surgery suites, ranging from instrument sterilization, equipment and environmental disinfection to wearing appropriate hospital-grade personal protective equipment (PPE), appropriate for the specific procedure and patient.
After patients visit Memorial for an outpatient test/procedure/service appointment, they will be asked to evaluate and monitor their health and temperature for 72 hours post-visit and communicate any changes with their Memorial care team.
At Memorial Gables, visitor and guest restrictions will remain in place at Memorial Gables to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 for residents and staff.
The environmental services team is working to keep all areas of Memorial Gables clean and sanitized. Protocols are in place for increased disinfection with hospital-grade products for all high-touch areas.
Memorial continues to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) as measures are taken to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and keep patients and employees safe.