The team at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center's collective efforts to prepare for the anticipated influx of COVID-19 patients include:
- Restricted visitors and non-essential individuals who enter the medical center to reduce the risk of transmission.
- Implemented temperature screens for anyone entering our buildings. Those with a temperature or other COVID-19-related symptoms are turned away, including employees.
- Cancelled or postponed all elective procedures to conserve hospital resources for critically ill patients and curb the spread of the virus by limiting the number of otherwise healthy people in our facility.
- Worked in collaboration with Whatcom Unified Command other local healthcare providers to initiate a communitywide response to the anticipated surge in the number of COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization, including combining resources to meet the growing need for supplies.
- Readied internal areas to triage, evaluate and treat larger numbers of COVID-19 patients. In addition, we have the capability to use an external triaging area, i.e., a tent located outside of the ED, should volumes exceed our internal capacity.
- Implemented a Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) conservation plan to ensure that we are stocked with the resources our caregivers need to remain safe.
The safety of our caregivers and community is our #1 focus. We are prepared!
