Updates to COVID-19 Procedures

Published December 31, 2020

With the community-wide escalation of positive COVID-19 cases and increasing employee positives, we are reaffirming and/or changing the following procedures:

1. Procedures Masks – Effective 12/29/2020, ALL hospital based employees or any employee entering hospital premises must wear a hospital-issued procedure mask. Cloth masks are ONLY allowed under a procedure mask. To reinforce, this applies to all hospital-based employees and any other employees that come into the hospital.
2. Procedure Masks AND Faceshields are REQUIRED when in direct contact with patients. Protect your mouth, nose, and eyes. If you need one, ask your supervisor for help. A faceshield while in direct patient care is NOT OPTIONAL.
3. Masks can ONLY be removed or adjusted for food and drinks when someone is 6 feet away.
4. Common Work Space – Break rooms, nurse’s stations, and other common work areas are one person at a time and each person responsible for before and after cleaning. It is important to remember to not congregate in break rooms or the nurse’s station. Social distancing (at least 6 feet apart) is still critical.
5. Patients should be encouraged to wear a procedure mask when hospital employees are present, if the patient can medically tolerate the mask. Please provide a procedure mask for the patient if needed.
6. Surface cleaning – Every two hours, everyone needs to help contribute to surface cleaning (door handles, countertops, high touch items)
7. Visitors – Please professionally reinforce one visitor at a time in the building. Visitors are REQUIRED to wear a procedure mask on our premises, including in the patient room. If you need help or support, please contact your supervisor and/or security as needed.
8. HAND HYGIENE – Before and after all patient contact and when touching your mask or face.
9. SCREENING – Every employee must self-screen via the MCH Screening Link prior to work OR go through one of the screening stations.

*If you are in direct contact with patients and are concerned or have had an exposure, symptoms or not, you can get a rapid test. You will need to have a secondary follow-up send out test within 7 days if you are negative. Please contact employee health for assistance.

Even though the vaccination process has begun, we cannot let our guard down! We need everyone in strict compliance with the standards to help reduce transmission. This pathogen is still very present and is a serious threat to our patients and our workforce.

It is everyone’s responsibility to be professional and hold each other accountable to the standards. Do not hesitate to contact your supervisor if you need additional help.