March 25, 2020
HORNELL, NY – From St James Hospital:
In light of the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, St. James Hospital has implemented new directives as recommended by UR Medicine and New York State Department of Health. The hospital also developed a surge plan to address and prepare for the potential increase of COVID-19 patients.
– The main entrance of the hospital is closed indefinitely, to limit traffic in and out of the building. All patients and staff are required to enter through the emergency department, where they will be screened.
– A new triage process has been implemented in the emergency department to reduce potential exposure to staff and patients. If possible, people are asked to call ahead to the emergency department at (607) 247-2300.
– All elective surgeries, procedures and non-essential outpatient visits at St. James will be postponed until May 1.
– The no-visitors policy will be extended through May 1. Exceptions include one visitor for pediatric inpatients or special circumstances.
“We are taking every measure possible to minimize exposure to our patients and staff,” said Bilal Ahmed, M.D., St. James Hospital chief medical officer.
Dr. Ahmed reminds the public to continue to follow the recommended safety guidelines: frequent hand washing, cough/sneeze into a tissue or inside of your elbow, social distancing, and self-quarantine for mild symptoms. He emphasizes that patients with mild respiratory symptoms should not come to the emergency department or urgent care to ask for COVID-19 testing.
“If anyone thinks they might have been exposed to Coronavirus/COVID-19 before visiting your provider’s office, Urgent Care, or the Emergency Room, call the UR Medicine COVID-19 support line at 1-888-928-0011 or your health care provider. You can also contact the NYS Department of Health (888-364-3065) to determine next steps,” he said. “Patients with serious symptoms are encouraged to seek a higher level of care at the emergency department.”
Bryan O’Donovan, St. James president and CEO, commends his team for their efforts.
“Everyone at St. James Hospital is doing an extraordinary job of responding to this rapidly evolving situation, and we are so grateful for their efforts to keep patients and staff safe. We would also like to thank the community for following social distancing guidelines and for the tremendous number of phone calls and social media posts supporting our hospital and our team members during these challenges times.”
For current information on COVID-19 visit:
· Centers for Disease Control: cdc.gov
· New York State Department of Health: www.ny.gov or 1-888-364-3065
· UR Medicine COVID website: www.stjames.urmc.edu
