Hospital Update on COVID-19 Precautionary Measures
March 16, 2020Helen Hayes Hospital is committed to providing the highest level of safety and care to our patients, families, and employees. The hospital continues to monitor the worldwide coronavirus outbreak and is following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) to implement all possible measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to our hospital patients and staff. Out of an abundance of caution and with the best interests of our patients in mind, a number of precautionary measures have been put in place at the hospital:
• All visitation to the hospital has been suspended until further notice. Families and friends are encouraged to reach out to their loved ones and their medical providers electronically or via telephone.
• All outpatient services have been suspended until further notice.
• All on-campus events, including support groups, student programs, clinical rotations, wellness programs, and on-campus sports events, have been cancelled until further notice.
• All hospital staff are subject to mandatory screening, including temperature screening, upon entrance to the hospital. Additionally, hospital employees have been directed not to report to work if they have a fever or flu-like symptoms (i.e. cough, sore throat, body aches) or have travelled to at-risk areas.
• All hospital staff are required to mask on patient units and in patient therapy areas.
• Families and caregivers must call ahead when picking up a discharged patient and will be subject to screening, including temperature screening, on entrance to the hospital.
While we understand that these precautions will have an impact on our hospital community, we believe that implementing these social distancing practices will help keep our patients healthy. We thank everyone for their cooperation during this time and will continue to provide additional updates as they arise.
