How Medical Center Barbour is Keeping Our Hospital and Clinics Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During this unprecedented time of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, we are doing many things to stay safe like staying home, washing our hands more frequently, and keeping our distance from others when we need to go out.
However, one thing you shouldn’t do is put off your necessary health care appointments. During an outbreak, just as during other times, skipping appointments is risky and can lead to complications.
It’s natural to have questions about getting care right now: Is it safe to go to a hospital? Can I get COVID-19 at my physician’s office? What if I need care for something that isn’t COVID-19?
In short: You don’t have to delay your health care, and you can still make an appointment with your physician during the COVID-19 outbreak. We have put into place several new practices to help protect you so you can continue to get the care you need while feeling secure at the same time.
Here is a list of our COVID-19 safety and security measures put into place at MCB and our MCB clinics:
1. We are following expert guidance in our hospitals and clinics.
At MCB, we have always taken the health and safety of our patients and staff very seriously. Our Infection Control Director, Katie Hopper, is an infectious disease expert that specializes in preventing and treating illnesses that can spread from person to person. Her expertise and guidance helps to guide our work and ensures we’re following the most up-to-date safety protocols in all of our facilities.
In addition to help from our own expert here at MCB, we’re meticulously following safety guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alabama Department of Public Health. We’re working closely with these organizations on COVID-19 prevention, screening, testing, and treatment. That means that whether you need care for COVID-19 or any other condition, we’re already familiar with the best ways to care for you safely.
2. We are treating COVID-19 patients separately from others.
When someone has, or is suspected to have, COVID-19, we evaluate and treat them separately from others.
By caring for COVID-19 patients apart from others, we can more easily see and treat patients for conditions that aren’t related to COVID-19. This helps reduce the chance for COVID-19 to spread and makes it safer for everyone to get the health care that’s right for them.
3. We now have extra cleaning and disinfection protocols.
We know that the coronavirus and other germs can live on surfaces people touch for quite some time. That’s why we’ve added extra surface cleanings, disinfection and safety protocols at all of our locations, in addition to our regular rigorous cleaning standards. This includes doors, lobbies, restrooms, waiting rooms, appointment rooms, furniture, vents, equipment and many more public and private spaces in all areas of our hospital and MCB clinics.
All our team members are doing their part to keep our clinics and hospital sanitized. Our MCB clinics and hospital are well stocked with disinfectants and other cleaning supplies at all times. We’re going above and beyond to make sure every surface, seat, high-touch and high-traffic area is hygienic and ready for you when you come to visit us.
4. We are making social distancing easier in our hospitals and clinics.
To keep our patients safe, we’ve modified our waiting rooms and lobbies so patients can stay at least six feet (about two arm lengths) apart. This is in accordance with the CDC’s recommendations of social distancing. We are also utilizing telehealth visits in our MCB Family Care Clinics so that patients who may not feel comfortable with in-patient visits can still get the care that they need.
We’re also ensuring that we have no outside visitors at this time. By having less people in our facilities, there’s less chance for viruses like COVID-19 to spread. This makes it easier for us to care for those who need it.
5. We perform wellness screenings at every hospital and clinics entrance.
Keeping people with COVID-19 quarantined helps minimize the spread of the illness. This is why we’ve set up wellness screenings at the entrances of all our care locations.
Both patients and staff members are screened for COVID-19 symptoms through a short questionnaire and temperature check when they arrive. If we notice any symptoms, we isolate the person and help them get the right care with standardized precautions and procedures.
6. Mandatory masks or face coverings are required for entrance to our hospital and clinics.
The CDC and our infectious disease experts recommend wearing masks or cloth face coverings to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. All our staff are required to wear masks at all times across all of our care facilities.
We also require that our patients and visitors to wear a mask when entering our MCB clinics or our hospital. If a patient arrives without a mask or face covering, we’ll provide a disposable one to wear during their visit.
The most important thing to remember is that healthcare facilities like hospitals, clinics, doctors offices, and dentist offices are some of the safest places you can visit right now because they are already prepared and used to preventing infectious diseases, long before COVID-19 came into existence. This is why you can feel safe when coming to Medical Center Barbour or any of our MCB clinics for your healthcare needs.