By Eric Swanson, President, Adventist Health Tillamook
I want to keep you informed about the steps Adventist Health Tillamook is taking to care for our community. We will send updates as needed regarding how we are responding to coronavirus situation.
Here the top three updates:
1. To continue providing services and reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus, we have established an Urgent Care and Emergency Room Checkpoint on the main campus of Adventist Health Tillamook. Signs along Third Street direct patient traffic to enter at the medical center entrance. Our friendly associates greet patients, who are screened for COVID-19 symptoms from the safety of their car. Next, patients are directed to the emergency room or urgent care based on their needs. Patients experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath) are seen in the newly established checkpoint located in the old ambulance garage behind the medical center building. The structure is equipped to provide a robust urgent care service focused on COVID-19 symptoms based on CDC guidelines. The Urgent Care and Emergency Room checkpoint is open 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (midnight).
2. We have implemented a no visitor policy except for pediatric, OB and hospice. We encourage visitors to connect with loved ones over the phone or through electronic communication. Also, we have implemented screening for everyone entering our medical center and medical offices. Anyone with a temperature higher than 100 degrees or experiencing coronavirus-like symptoms is sent to the Urgent Care and Emergency Room Checkpoint.
3. Thank you, Tillamook, for your generous community donations of personal protective equipment for our clinical teams and masks for patients. Your gifts of N-95 masks, home-sewn masks, non-latex gloves and sanitizing wipes are greatly appreciated! Masks can be dropped off at Adventist Health Tillamook medical center, inside the main and emergency entrances, as well as at our medical offices. To make a financial contribution to help wherever needed in the coming days, visit www.adventisthealth.org/tillamook/giving and select the COVID-19 Response Fund. All funds donated through this link will benefit Tillamook County, whether through Adventist Health or one of our community partners caring for people impacted by COVID-19. Adventist Health is committed to caring for the Tillamook community as we deal with the unprecedented global public health coronavirus situation. The health and safety of our patients, associates and community are our top priority. Our medical center and medical offices remain open to provide care. Everyone who works at Adventist Health Tillamook is committed to doing whatever is needed to serve our community.
Obtaining Additional Information:
We are working closely with the Oregon Hospital and Health System Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide you timely information and appropriate care needed to stop the spread of the virus. During national, state and county emergencies, governmental agencies such as the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon Office of Emergency (OEM), the CDC, and the World Health Organization (WHO) take the lead to ensure guidance to the public is clear and consistent. The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the need for the public to look to trusted government sources for public information.
Patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance at Adventist Health. If you are looking for state information about COVID-19 cases, we recommend visiting the Oregon Health Authority website. The OHA is the source of state information on COVID-19 including the number of tests, cases, beds and ventilators.
Not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19. We test according to the CDC guidelines. You can find those guidelines on the CDC website.