“We are in contact with local and state health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and our staff is following the latest guidance from these public health agencies so that patients affected by COVID-19 will be able to get the care they need while protecting the health and safety of our associates,” Colon told this news outlet Friday.
Premier Health also has taken steps to ensure that it has adequate supplies of various items, such as N95 respirators, and that it has adequate staff — and support for those employees — to care for its patients, he said.
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Kettering Health Network hospitals and outpatient facilities, which include Fort Hamilton Hospital and Kettering Health Middletown, have been preparing for COVID-19 and have implemented a network Incident Command structure so that they can continue to care for the community, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Long.
“There has been no disruption to patient care,” Long said.
Thomas Lamarre, an infectious disease specialist at Christ Network’s Infectious Disease department, said during a Thursday press conference that preparations for the regional pandemic have been ongoing, including assessing the number of available beds in all regional medical systems and ventilators needed daily.
As hospitals work to set up testing centers, testing should not be done unless patients are showing symptoms, Dustin Calhoun of UC Health’s Emergency Medicine department, said during the press conference.
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Mercy Health facilities, including Fairfield Hospital, continue to monitor the latest updates and are prepared to safely screen, isolate and care for patients with respiratory illness, including COVID-19, according to officials.
The system said its preparations include educating providers and clinical teams on the latest CDC guidelines and screening all patients at care entry points and facilities via a patient questionnaire. In addition, a COVID-19 Executive Task Force is working “around-the-clock to enable agile response.”
UC Health, which includes West Chester Hospital, announced Friday that four members of a family treated at the faciliy received positive test results. Those four are quarantined in their homes. Three other members of the family have been tested and are awaiting results.
“At this time, to protect our patients and employees and help prevent the spread of respiratory illness, we are NOT ALLOWING visitors in certain areas of our facilities,” UC Health said via its website.
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Other facilities putting varying restrictions on visitors include Mercy Health-Fairfield Hospital, Atrium Medical Center, UC Health West Chester Hospital, TriHealth’s Bethesda Butler Hospital in Hamilton and McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford and The Christ Hospital Medical Center-Liberty Township.
Testing for COVID-19
Bethesda Butler Hospital and McCullough-Hyde were scheduled to have assessment areas ready to receive patients as early as 5 p.m. Friday, according to spokeswoman Tonya Hurst.
Mercy Health’s David Fikse announced Thursday that the health system’s ambulatory sites will soon be able to do testing for COVID-19.
As of Friday, Premier Health’s hospitals – Miami Valley Hospital, Miami Valley Hospital North, Miami Valley Hospital South, Atrium Medical Center, and Upper Valley Medical Center – were able to test for COVID-19 in appropriate patients in coordination with the Ohio Department of Health and local public health agencies.
“At this time, our hospitals do not have the ability to perform these tests on-site,” Premier Health’s Colon said. “We are evaluating the possibility of conducting these tests in an alternative health care setting locally.”
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The test can be ordered by physicians or an authorized health care provider, he said.
“It is highly recommended that providers follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s protocol for determining whether testing for the novel coronavirus is needed for a particular patient,” he said.
For more information, visit www.tinyurl.com/evaluatingtesting.
Protecting oneself
Health system officials across the region say the best ways to protect oneself are to avoid crowds, wash hands with sanitizer or using soap and water for at least 20 seconds, remain home, avoid contact with people who are sick, not touch eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.
Officials also are referring the public to CDC guidelines for COVID-19 prevention at www.tinyurl.com/coronavirusCDC.
According to the CDC, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms that may appear two to 14 days after exposure include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath.
Those with symptoms, but not in need of immediate medical assistance, are recommened to self-monitor at home, according to the CDC is recommended by the CDC. They also may call a primary care provider for more information on testing or call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-833-427-5634 to discuss if, when and where they should be seen.
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