Hospital Changing Protocols Due To COVID-19

Patients and visitors will notice some changes in protocols at Cordell Memorial Hospital in the days and weeks to come. The changes, according to hospital CEO Kenny Downs, are part of the hospital’s ongoing efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic.

“We’re trying to be good stewards of health care in Cordell and the surrounding area,” he said. “We want to do everything we can during this crisis to provide for the needs of our community.”

First and foremost, the hospital is limiting access to the facility. While access is generally controlled in normal circumstances, the current crisis demands even tighter controls. The automatic doors at the front entrance of the hospital will be unlocked from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00, Monday through Friday, but will be locked and secured outside of those hours. All access to the hospital in the off-hours will be through the emergency room.

All patients, visitors, vendors, and staff - everyone going into the hospital - are now being screened at the entrance points. The screening includes taking and documenting the temperatute of everyone going in, as well as asking questions about symptoms and possible exposure to the virus. All persons entering are also expected to demonstrate proper hand hygiene, as recommened by the Centers For Disease Control, and will be issued a mask before entering the interior areas of the hospital.

Downs said the hospital is also limiting visitation to two people per patient at any one time and all visitors must be older than 16. This, he said, will help cut down on the amount of foot traffic in the hospital and reduce the number of people coming into close contact with each other. The measure, he said, is necessary to protect the health of the patients and the staff.

The hospital is also expanding its use of telehealth technology, taking advantage of recent relaxation of federal regulations. Telehealth technology allows health care providers to deliver virtual appointments to patients at the famil clinic without coming in to the office and risking exposure from other patients. Patients can “see” their health care provider from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Downs said telehealth is extremely beneficial for seniors and other high-risk patients as they can receive necessary health care without exposure risk. The progam, which was only launched last Wednesday, was being used by Thursday.

“It’s far from a perfectly polished system,” Downs said. “But it’s very functional at this point.”

Downs also noted that these new protocols and programs, along with everything else, are subject to change as the situation evolves.

“Every day health care facilities are bombarded with new information and recommendations, it’s a very fluid situation,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to stay abreast of this situation, and things may change at any time. We’ll make changes as we need to in the best interest of patients, staff, and the community.”