Additional Precautions Taken by MCH&HS to Ensure Safety

It has been a couple of months since the COVID-19 outbreak surfaced in Washington County and in our community. Since that time, leadership and staff at Memorial Community Hospital and Health System have worked diligently and taken extra precautions in order to protect the health and safety of its patients and visitors during the pandemic.

Efforts to safeguard others have included precautionary measures such as screening all persons who enter the facility, to include temperature checks, restricting and/or limiting visitors, requiring that all persons entering our facility wear a mask and are offered one if they do not have one, and safety barriers are placed at all registration desks. In addition, there is enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of all high touch surfaces within the facility and clinics,  UV light for disinfection is being used, all common areas have seating available that is spaced to adhere to acceptable social distancing, and a COVID-19 phone triage line is in place for questions and treatment guidance.  MCH&HS also meets daily with DHHS to receive updates and strategies to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our facility and community, and works very closely with our long term care facilities and the local health department to provide care for residents and the people in the community.

“The staff at MCH&HS continually follows our stringent cleaning protocols to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff. I urge our community members to help safeguard each other by following the Directed Health Measures,“ said Manny Wolf, President and CEO at MCH&HS. ”I would also urge the members of our communities to get tested by signing up for the Test Nebraska COVID-19 testing by signing up at https://www.testnebraska.com/en.”

Messaging has been consistent during the pandemic, not only in our community, but nationwide, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you are at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19 because of your age or because you have a serious long-term health problem, it is essential for you to take actions to reduce your risk of getting sick with the disease.

  • Stay home if possible.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others (stay 6 feet away, which is about two arm lengths).
  • Keep away from people who are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched services.
  • Avoid travel.
  • Call your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 and your underlying condition or if you are sick.

If you would like additional information about COVID-19 and what you can do to stop the spread of this illness, there are many helpful resources available to you that offer up to date information. Please visit the DHHS COVID-19 Information Line at (402) 552-6645, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week, the CDC at www.cdc.gov, or Three Rivers Public Health Department at 866-727-5396 or online at https://threeriverspublichealth.org. You may also dial 211 for essential information concerning health and human services.