Menu For St. Elizabeth Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Physicians, we were ready and prepared when COVID-19 came into our community and rest assured, we remain ready to care for our community in the safest way possible. When scheduling an elective procedure or care, it is instrumental to understand, and feel confident, that one of the safest places to be is a healthcare setting. Read below for more information regarding our safety measures. For information and resources on scheduling or rescheduling elective procedures, visit the ‘Quick Links’ section below to find specific information on scheduling safe elective procedures. Safety and Cleaning Procedures What to Expect During Your In-Person Visit Open and Safe for Elective Procedures Safety Measures We are committed to the the following practices for the foreseeable future: Masks Will Remain Commonplace In light of data about how COVID-19 spreads, and what we have positively experienced at St. Elizabeth, we know that masking makes a tremendous difference in the spread of this virus. As such, we will continue to require everyone in our care sites to wear a face covering. Staff will wear medically appropriate masks, while patients and visitors are required to wear their own masks unless instructed otherwise by a staff member. Surgical masks and N-95 respirators are reserved for our healthcare workers and other first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. HOW TO MAKE A MASK Sanitization and Sterilization Given the nature of this virus, sanitization and sterilization are a top priority. We will continue to maintain the additional state-of-the-art sanitizing stations in all of our buildings. In the hospital setting, multiple times each day, we are deep cleaning patient rooms, including floors and ceilings. At least twice per shift, our environmental services teams are applying safe, CDC-approved germicide to common areas, lobbies, restrooms and elevators. These measures will ensure we’re eliminating any germs from our care sites. In the Primary Care and Specialty offices, exam rooms will be cleaned with sanitizing wipes after every patient. Waiting rooms and check-in stations will be cleaned every three hours or as needed following contamination. Social Distancing St. Elizabeth is committed to social distancing within our facilities. Visitors are permitted to travel only directly to/from the patient room. We also have floor stickers reminding patients, visitors and staff to keep six feet of distance between one another. Temperature Screening We will continue to administer temperature checks to enter any hospital or office location. Video Visits We will continue offering access to video visits with 100% of our primary care physicians and most of our specialists. Video visits are a safe way for patients to get the care they need. EXPLORE VIDEO VISIT OPTIONS Visitor Guidelines St. Elizabeth Healthcare has activated new visitor guidelines to protect the health of our patients, associates, physicians and community. Learn More Quick Links - Elective Procedures are Now Available Orthopaedic Procedures Heart & Vascular Procedures General Surgery Procedures Ophthalmology Procedures Thoracic Procedures Gastroenterology Procedures Urology Procedures Women’s Health Procedures Podiatry Procedures Find an Office Location Find a Hospital Location Find an Urgent Care Location Find an Emergency Room Schedule an Appointment Start a Video Visit Frequently Asked Questions Get answers to your questions about elective procedures. Is St. Elizabeth Healthcare completely open to perform elective surgery and procedures? Yes. Procedures will be prioritized based on a patient’s need and health conditions. What patients are scheduling priorities at this point? We will continue to prioritize emergency and urgent procedures, but we have resumed scheduling elective procedures. Are patients allowed to bring a family member or friend with them to their procedure? Please view our visitor restrictions, here. Will St. Elizabeth perform elective surgery and procedures on patients with COVID-19 symptoms? We will not perform elective surgery on patients with documented COVID-19 infection or with similar symptoms. Surgeries will be performed once the patient is asymptomatic. Is it safe to get an elective surgery or procedure right now? Yes. We are applying additional COVID-19 specific safety measures to enhance the quality and safety we are known for. These include: Pre-procedure COVID-19 testing for elective surgery and procedure patients. Your physician will talk to you about whether this testing policy applies to your procedure. Temperature and symptom screening prior to your appointment at our facilities. Supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) that meet or exceed state-mandated minimums. Visitor restrictions. Mask use for all St. Elizabeth staff and patients in our facilities. Enhanced and more frequent sanitizing procedures that exceed industry requirements. Social distancing in all areas of our facilities, including pre-and post-procedure areas. What safety precautions are being taken for elective surgeries and procedures? The number of surgeries and procedures per day will be monitored, to minimize risk and to comply with social distancing rules as we provide the safest possible environment for patients and staff. All patients will be tested for COVID-19 and that test must be negative before continuing with elective procedures. If a patient refuses to be tested for COVID-19, the elective procedure will not proceed without the test being performed and a negative result is received. For patients for whom COVID-19 testing is pending or a patient refuses testing, urgent/emergent procedures will proceed with enhanced COVID-19 precautions. The patient will be subject to additional protocols to effectively provide care and maintain the safety of all patients and staff. All patients will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and exposures prior to arrival for their procedure. Patients will be asked to bring and wear a mask the entire time while in the facility. Clean cloth or other homemade masks are acceptable. If patients do not have a mask or have respiratory symptoms, they will be given a surgical mask to wear. At a minimum, all staff will wear surgical masks during all patient encounters and while working in our facilities. Prior to your appointment, you may receive instructions from your provider’s office regarding arriving and checking-in for your appointment in a safe, efficient manner. Only the patient will be allowed in the facility. Special cases will be considered as defined by staff on a case-by-case basis. All facilities performing elective procedures and surgeries will maintain adequate PPE to meet or exceed state minimums during each phase and beyond. St. Elizabeth will continue to perform diligent hand washing and have added extra cleaning precautions. Will patients need to wear masks? Because of how COVID-19 spreads and based upon our experiences at St. Elizabeth, we know that masks make a tremendous difference in preventing the spread of this virus. As such, we will continue to require everyone in our facilities to wear a face covering. Patients without respiratory symptoms may wear their own cloth mask if it provides adequate protection and is not soiled. Patients with respiratory symptoms will be given an isolation (surgical) mask to wear. Staff will wear surgical masks and/or N-95 respirators. Will patients undergoing elective surgery or procedures be tested for COVID-19? Yes. As part of the state guidelines to begin to perform elective surgery and procedures, all patients must be tested. Can patients schedule elective procedures? Yes. Patients can schedule elective surgery and procedures with their physicians. Will patients be able to have visitors if in inpatient care? Please view our visitor restrictions, here. Preparing for Your Primary Care or Specialty Office Visit: All patients will be screened prior to appointment. Patients will be asked to bring and wear a mask the entire time while in the office. Cloth or other homemade masks are acceptable. If patients have respiratory symptoms, they will be given a surgical mask to wear. All staff will wear surgical masks during all patient encounters. Prior to your appointment, you may receive instructions from your Primary Care or Specialty office regarding arriving and checking-in for your appointment in a safe, efficient manner. Only the patient will be allowed in the office, no family members, except for children or patients who require a caretaker. We are performing diligent hand washing and extra cleaning precautions/sterilization. With all the precautions we have taken and will continue to take, we believe our hospitals and offices are the safest public spaces in the community. St. Elizabeth is fully prepared for a safe re-opening of non-urgent/emergent healthcare services, diagnostic radiology and lab services in hospital outpatient settings, elective procedures and elective surgeries.