East Washingtonian - Your Hometown News Source

Garfield County Hospital District has been working diligently to prepare for the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak in our community. Although our county remains at low risk, we want to take every precaution to prevent any spread if it does appear in our community. This is particularly important for us with our vulnerable patient population as well as our limited staff. Exposure to our patients could result in multiple deaths or exposure and quarantine of our staff could shut down operations.

We have been actively engaged with our local EMS, health district, emergency response coordinator, and dispatch to ensure that as a local healthcare system we are all on the same page and prepared to respond as a team. The District has also been working with the Department of Health, Washington State Hospital Association, and the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts to ensure we are following the most current recommendations and standards of practice.

At this time, we feel that we are well prepared. Current recommendation for community members is to stay home unless you are in serious need of medical attention. If you are concerned about the possibility of having COVID-19, please call and we can arrange to come to you for testing. If you do come to the hospital or clinic, be prepared to be screened at the door.

With the increasing spread of COVID-19 and the susceptibility of our permanent patients, we have made the decision to stop allowing visitors for the time being as of Friday, March 13. We will continue to evaluate the situation and take every measure to protect our at-risk population. We are still operating all services as usual: lab, radiology, physical therapy, ER, and the medical clinic. There are new protocols in place to limit any possible exposure through those services.

If you come up to the hospital for any outpatient services, you will have to enter through the south Memory Manor entrance. You will be stopped and screen just inside the door. At the clinic, patients will be screened before being allowed to enter the building. At the ER, patients will also be screened outside the door. We know this creates some inconvenience for everyone involved but is necessary to limit exposure of our staff and patients. We have also begun screening staff before they start their shifts.

We will try to keep the community up to date on the most current recommendations. If you have any questions about COVID-19 please call the hospital at 843-1591 or the health district at 843-3412.

We appreciate your effort in working with us to ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and community.