Marlborough – UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital released this statement this afternoon:
Due to the evolving situation with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), we are sharing as much information as we can about UMass Memorial Health Care’s response as the largest health care provider and largest employer for our region. We have a system-wide task force that has been in place for the last several weeks that has a dedicated focus on our response to ensure the appropriate care of our patients, visitors and families, as well as the care and protection of our employees. This task force also is in contact with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) to coordinate patient care as needed. Here is a summary of our efforts that we can share at this time.
For our Patients and Visitors:
- NOTE: At the request of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, UMass
will not be reporting the number of patients who test positive for COVID-19 at any of our locations. To learn more about the number of cases in the state and by county, visit the DPH website. It is completely safe for patients, families and visitors entering any UMass Memorial location.
- Guidance if you suspect COVID-19: If you are experiencing a fever, cough or shortness of breath, we advise that you call your primary care physician for guidance. We request that you do not come directly to the emergency department or urgent care sites to have those symptoms evaluated unless there is an extreme urgency to do so.
- Visitor Policy: To protect our patients and caregivers during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have changed our visitor policy to minimize foot traffic and potential exposures. Visitors who have fever, cough or shortness of breath are prohibited to visit at this time. Patients may have one adult visitor greater than 18 years of age. There will be exceptions at each of our locations in specific circumstances that will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- More information for the public: We continue to monitor the situation and are updating our website with new information for our patients and the general public.
- Volunteers Restrictions: For the safety of our volunteers, effective immediately, our volunteer programs have been suspended and volunteers will not be allowed to come in to our hospitals until further notice.
- Patient Screening: As COVID-19 expands across our state, UMass Memorial continues our preparations to care for patients, families and our own employees. At the UMass Memorial Medical Center University and Memorial campuses, as well as at Marlborough Hospital, we are setting up outside tents to screen patients in a secure area that will limit potential exposure to others. We expect to begin using the tents next week.
For our Workforce:
For our workforce, we have adjusted some of our policies, instituted additional training and protective equipment and heightened our internal communications to keep them well informed. Below are some of the specific actions we’ve taken for our workforce:
- Training for front-line caregivers: We have provided additional training and protocols for our front-line caregivers to screen and treat patients with symptoms that could be COVID-19.
- Protection for front-line caregivers: We have secured personal protective equipment such as masks, goggles and the like for our front-line caregivers with additional training support on use of the equipment when needed.
- Protocols for potential exposure: If any employees experience coronavirus-like symptoms or are exposed to a patient suspected to have COVID-19, they are connected to our Employee Health Services to triage, monitor and advise for further actions.
- Travel and Conference Restrictions: We now are prohibiting attendance at off-site, work related meetings or conferences that have 50 or more participants. We also are canceling any on-site conferences or meetings of the same size.
- Personal Travel: The only guidance for employees is that we strongly discourage any personal travel to level 2 or 3 countries per the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If they choose to travel to these locations, they must contact Employee Health Services for self-quarantine protocols.
- HR Policies: Our Human Resources team is developing additional policies to help our employees balance their work and personal time given the urgency of the COVID-19 situation.
NOTE: This document will be updated with new information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
For more information visit https://www.umassmemorialhealthcare.org/marlborough-hospital.
