Today we welcome responses from Shasta Regional Medical Center’s communication department to some questions ANC submitted earlier this month.
Click here to read a list of all the questions.
Q: What specific measures and procedures have been implemented, different from your routine best healthcare practices – to address COVID-19? For staff? For patients? For visitors?
We are not allowing any visitors until further notice.
We are screening anyone entering the hospital.
We are only doing essential surgeries, until further notice.
We are screening those entering the facility for symptoms.
Q: Can you break down the exact steps, from beginning to end, in place should a person walk into the hospital seeking testing for the virus?
1. Screened for symptoms and travel information
2. Vital signs obtained
3. Evaluated by trained RN and ED provider
4. If criteria is met, an infectious disease expert is consulted
Q: How exactly does the hospital administer the test, where is the sample sent for assessment, and what is the turnaround time for the hospital to receive test results?
Shasta County Public Health has a turn around time of about 24 hours.
Q: In the event someone comes in for testing, but is not gravely ill enough to be admitted, but they’ve been tested and the results are pending, then what? What is the person instructed to do while waiting for the results? How do you ensure compliance?
They are asked to self-isolate at home until the test results come back.
Q: Does the hospital have staff specifically designated to deal with the virus, or is staff working in other parts of the hospital with general population patients?
All staff are trained to care for COVID-19 patients.
Q: As of this email how many tests for COVID-19 have been administered at your hospital?
48
Q: Is the hospital testing all staff to ensure that some of the employees, especially the younger population, who may be infected but symptom-free, are not inadvertently spreading the virus? (If not, why not?)
We are following CDC and local guidelines for testing. All staff are screened for symptoms.
Q: As of this email, how many confirmed positive test results has the hospital received?
1
