Shriners Burns Hospital issued the following announcement on April 07.
All of us at Shriners Hospitals for Children want to thank you for the faith and confidence you have placed in us for your child’s medical needs. We take to heart our commitment to you and are looking forward to serving you now and into the future. Although COVID-19 has changed many things about our daily life, here at Shriners Hospitals we continue to adapt and innovate to serve you during this unprecedented time. The health and safety of our patients, families and staff are our top priorities. With the rapidly evolving situation regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus, we are closely monitoring updates and following advisories from public health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local government officials.
Your plan of care
The CDC, the American College of Surgeons and state and local governments have advised health care providers to defer all procedures considered elective to preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and other scarce medical supplies anticipated for the potential surge of COVID-19 cases. This guidance is being given to all medical facilities throughout the country and hopefully these restrictions will only last a short time while the medical supply chain catches up with the anticipated demand. Therefore, Shriners Hospitals for Children is postponing many services, including surgeries and procedures, outpatient appointments and therapies. Our medical teams are reviewing all cases and referrals. Those that can safely be deferred will be rescheduled when public health conditions allow, and we are contacting all patients who may be affected. If you have any questions about an upcoming appointment, please feel free to contact the Shriners Hospitals for Children location where you receive care.
For patients who do come in, we want you to know our staff stands ready to continue your care with proper precautions in place. We have developed strict screening and cleaning protocols in accordance with CDC and state health recommendations. If you or someone you live with is not feeling well or has traveled recently to an area heavily affected by COVID-19, please contact us before traveling to the hospital. Your appointment will likely need to be rescheduled.
Fast Track Video Visits
Some patients will be identified by our medical teams to continue their care via telehealth. Our Fast Track Video Visits system connects you with your care providers via video technology. These video visits may be used to conduct follow-up visits and discuss treatment plans. While telehealth will not replace all in-person visits, we believe this innovative approach can help ease stress related to maintaining appointments and complying with safer-at-home orders. Fast Track Video Visits are an extension of our care, and they help improve personal and community by decreasing potential risk of exposure. We’ll let you know if we can continue your care using Fast Track Video Visits.
Preventing exposure
The world’s understanding of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is evolving. Based on currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Continued social distancing along with frequent and proper hand hygiene are our best defenses at this time.
We know these are uncertain times. We care about you. From patients and care providers to the Shriners and donors who support us, we are all part of the Shriners Hospitals for Children family. We will stay connected, and we will get through this together.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up