As Chester County prepares to go green, Chester County Hospital continues to go forward in providing safe and effective care in our hospital and our satellite locations. Procedures and surgeries have resumed and virtual appointments are shifting back to our facilities. We remain focused, vigilant and rigorous in our safety procedures.
You can view this conversation in the video below, or read the accompanying transcript.
VIDEO:
TRANSCRIPT:
00:03 -
I';m Jan Markham, Vice President of Support Services at Chester County Hospital, thank you for joining me for our next COVID Conversation. While coexisting with COVID-19 is a daunting task, Chester County Hospital is well-prepared.
Now, as we work to implement plans to resume procedures and surgeries, and shift appointments back to our facilities that had been conducted virtually, we are focused on continuing our rigorous safety procedures, which are including the following:
00:30 -
- Screening, including thermal scanning, of all patients, visitors and staff. Those with symptoms or a temperature of 100 degrees or higher are referred for testing.
- We have sufficient PPE to ensure that you, your visitors, and our staff are safe. All staff wear the necessary protective equipment required for their role. There is a committee at Chester County Hospital that meets frequently to assess our supply levels to ensure we are fully prepared to care for our patients' safety.
- A committee purely focused on physical distancing has been formed to ensure we consider multiple ways to keep patients, visitors, and staff safe.
- All waiting areas have been reconfigured to promote physical distancing. Interventions are for both seating and waiting in line.
01:18 -
- Chester County Hospital incorporates contactless check-in and check-out registration procedures through MyChart by myPennMedicine, our patient portal. Just sign in to MyChart by myPennMedicine, find your appointment in your To Do list, and select the Pre Check-In button.
- Elevators are restricted to only four individuals per car, standing in opposite corners of the car.
- We have removed communal items in all parts of the hospital. These include, but are not limited to magazines, books, and the salad bar in our café.
- We have enacted a universal masking policy which requires all staff, patients, and visitors to wear masks or face coverings at all times. Chester County Hospital will provide a mask to visitors/patients that do not have a mask upon entering the building.
02:02 -
- We are testing each patient for COVID-19 24-48 hours prior to admission for procedures requiring general anesthesia or intubation. If a patient tests positive, a decision will be made between the patient and his or her surgeon regarding the safety of delaying the procedure.
- We have designated care units for COVID patients that are separated from non-COVID patients.
- Visitation policy changes have also been made to restrict the number of people in our facilities at one time. The policies allow for the minimum number of people needed to be present for procedures, tests, deliveries and exams.
- For the safety of staff and patients, the Emergency Department is not allowing visitors to accompany patients, unless the patient has special.
02:46 - What cleaning measures is Chester County Hospital taking to keep patients safe?
- Waiting areas and sitting areas are cleaned several times a day, in accordance with Infection Control guidelines.
- We have increased the frequency of times that we clean high touch surfaces throughout the hospital. We have ensured that hand sanitizer is available to staff, patients and visitors, throughout the hospital.
- All isolation rooms, upon a patient's discharge, are cleaned from top to bottom before another patient is admitted. This includes using UV light on the closed room, after the top to bottom cleaning.
- Rooms utilized for COVID patients are cleaned thoroughly using both traditional terminal cleaning methods and additional Ultra Violet light enhanced cleaning
03:31 - Where do I park when I come to the hospital?
- Valet service is temporarily suspended at all Penn Medicine locations to limit COVID-19 exposure. At Chester County Hospital, garage and outdoor parking, and drop-offs, are still available.
03:47 - Is there a difference at different locations?
- No. All of our hospitals and ambulatory practices are taking the same precautions to prevent exposure to COVID-19.
03:57 -
Thank you for joining us for this COVID Conversation and we look forward to seeing you soon.