Carlinville Area Hospital recently issued the following announcement.
At Carlinville Area Hospital, our highest priority is the health and safety of our community. As your trusted healthcare partner, we understand the concern and anxiety you may feel about the coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community and globally.
Our hospital continually works to be prepared for all types of infectious diseases. We are taking proactive steps to protect our patients, health care workers, and the community. We are constantly monitoring ongoing COVID-19 updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and implementing their recommendations.
The hospital will begin implementing the following precautions effective Tuesday, March 17:
New entrance screening procedures for patients and visitors
Anyone attempting to enter our facility will be screened prior to entry. The screening will consist of a temperature reading as well as answering a series of questions. If COVID-19 symptoms are present i.e. fever over 100.5, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, and fatigue, you will be asked to wear a mask, triaged and treated according to your signs and symptoms. Please note, the Emergency Department entrance is to be used for emergencies only. If you suspect you might be infected with the COVID-19 virus, please call your health care provider, if you do not have a provider, please call Macoupin County Public Health at 217-854-3692 and ask for a nurse.
It is important to know that these screening procedures do not mean limiting access to our hospital. CAH stands ready to treat any potential patients and current patients. We have an excellent team of professionals ready to serve your health needs. These precautions help us to ensure we are able to monitor visitor and outpatient access to better protect our patients, medical professionals, and hospital staff during this time.
Limited and Suspended Services
Some outpatient services have been temporarily limited and/or suspended until the end of the month (rehabilitation, specialty clinic, and outpatient surgery). In addition, Girard Family Health Care is temporarily closed. If you have a scheduled appointment and have not yet been notified, please call the hospital at 217.854.3141. Please note, our Carlinville Family Health Care Clinic remains open.
Temporary Visitor Restrictions
Visitors should be limited to those required for the well-being of the patient (1 at the most). Visitors under the age of 18 are not allowed without special circumstances.
We understand these precautions might be inconvenient for some of our visitors and outpatients, but this process has been implemented to protect the wellbeing of all our patients and staff, which is our top priority. We must take this pandemic very seriously and follow the CDC’s most recent guidelines to curb the spread of the virus.
Our hope is to begin rescheduling missed appointments, testing and exams in early April but please understand this is an ever-changing situation and these plans are subject to change. Again, we are prepared, equipped and trained to treat coronavirus patients although we have had no confirmed cases to date, all hospitals expect to admit patients in the very near future at record levels.
We must all take this pandemic very seriously and follow the CDC’s most recent recommendations to curb the spread of this virus.
We will continue to keep the public updated on any and all developments related to this fast-paced, ever-changing coronavirus outbreak as we receive them.
Original source can be found here.
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