Open, Safe and Right Here. As our community begins to “reopen” in a phased approach, it is instrumental to understand and feel confident that one of the safest places to be in the community is in a healthcare setting. For St. Elizabeth Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Physicians, we were ready and prepared when COVID-19 came into our community and rest assured, we are just as prepared to “reopen” aspects of our care in the safest way possible as COVID-19 cases continue to decline. St. Elizabeth is Safe & Prepared From a safety measure, we have no intention of relaxing these mandates in the coming months even if other areas of the community alter theirs. We will continue 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. 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. 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 Temperature Screening & Masks We will continue to administer temperature checks to enter any hospital or office location. We will also require patients to be masked, clothed or homemade masks are acceptable. HOW TO MAKE A MASK 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 Phased Opening St. Elizabeth will be rescheduling elective procedures based on the Governor’s phased approach. SEE THE PLAN Schedule A Procedure St. Elizabeth is right here to safely offer the care you need, close to home. FIND SCHEDULING INFORMATION What to Expect & How to Prepare for Your St. Elizabeth Office Visit A few things patients will want to know prior to making their appointment and coming into their Primary Care or Specialty office: There will be a limited number of in-person patient appointments per day to minimize risk and to comply with social distancing rules. Patients will be taken to an exam room directly after screening—no waiting rooms. 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. Can I Get Tested? Testing Criteria for COVID-19. There have been many questions about the criteria for getting a COVID-19 test. While we recognize that this environment creates anxiety that drives people to want to be tested, it's important that we test appropriately. St. Elizabeth is following CDC guidelines for testing prioritization; inpatients are the top priority, so that we can place patients in the appropriate units and preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) for those who do not have COVID-19. Healthcare workers and first responders who are symptomatic are the next priority, along with symptomatic individuals who are at higher risk for complications due to COVID-19 because of underlying health conditions or their age. Otherwise healthy individuals in low-risk categories are not recommended for testing, as the test will not change their care plan. In no cases is it recommended to test asymptomatic individuals. If you have questions, please call our COVID-19 Helpline: 1-800-737-7900. Read More About the CDC Testing Guidelines CALL TO SCHEDULE A DRIVE-THRU TEST KEY INFORMATION ON RECEIVING OR ACCESSING YOUR TEST RESULTS