Health care facilities can take steps to manage the outbreak and protect both their patients and staff.
Be Prepared: stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation; develop, or review, your facility’s emergency plan; establish relationships with key healthcare and public health partners in your community; and create an emergency contact list.
Communicate with Staff and Patients: Share information about what is currently known about COVID-19, the potential for surge, and your facility’s preparedness plans. Provide updates about changes to your policies regarding appointments, providing non-urgent patient care by telephone, and visitors. Consider using your facility’s website or social media pages to share updates.
Protect Your Workforce: Screen patients and visitors for symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., fever, cough, difficulty breathing) before entering your healthcare facility; ensure proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE); conduct an inventory of available PPE.
Protect Your Patients: Consider strategies to prevent patients who can be cared for at home from coming to your facility potentially exposing themselves or others to germs.