LOCAL:
Visitor policy relaxed, stringent safety precautions in place
After the governor’s announcement on reopening the state, AdventHealth laid out its plan. Starting Monday, the health system will lift its no-visitor policy and begin elective procedures.
A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement on reopening Florida, including lifting the ban on elective procedures on May 4, AdventHealth officials laid out their plan.
Starting Monday, the health system will lift its no-visitor policy, allowing one visitor per patient.
It will also begin performing elective procedures. The governor’s executive order banning elective procedures since March 20 initially was set to expire on May 8.
“Our physicians and surgeons have really been working on this for about two weeks now, and they’ve developed an acuity score and they were ready to roll once the governor gave us the order that it was OK [to perform elective procedures],” said Dr. Neil Finkler, chief medical officer of acute care services at AdventHealth, during a virtual press conference on Thursday morning.
The health system is also implementing universal masking in its facilities, including visitors. All staff and visitors, including vendors, will also have their temperatures checked before entering the buildings.
All hospital patients, including those who are having procedures, will be tested for COVID-19. The health system is also testing all of its staff, including physicians.
AdventHealth is currently sending about 5,000 COVID-19 tests a day to a lab in Texas, officials said.
Finkler explained that the main purpose of testing is to identify individuals who have the virus but show no symptoms. Patients who test positive will be moved to a unit where all other COVID-19 patients are cared for. Staff will be asked to stay home until their test results are negative.
AdventHealth is also redesigning its waiting areas.
You can expect to see signage throughout AdventHealth facilities about social distancing, including chair covers that ask visitors not to sit in them.
“Your visit to the doctor will look different,” said Daryl Tol, president and CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida division. “Your experience will be different and in some ways we think it can feel good. It can feel better.”
To reduce crowing, patients will be able to virtually check in and check out of their appointments, via an app or by a phone call.
“Our goal is to create an environment that is very, very reassuring and safe for people, so that everyone knows when you need health care, go get health care. We’re here,” said Tol.
Orlando Health has implemented similar measures at its facilities.
“These steps are part of the ‘new’ normal,” said Dr. Sunil Desai president of Orlando Health Medical Group, in a news release on Thursday afternoon. “We don’t know how long the virus will be with us, but these measures are designed to help ensure the safety of patients, visitors and care teams.”
It’s been no secret that health systems across the nation have lost millions of dollars in recent weeks because of the cancellation of elective procedures and a decline in the number of patient visits.
Tol said hundreds of millions of dollars “have left the revenue side of the equation,” but the health system has not laid off or furloughed its employees. Some have been asked to temporarily work in other departments and taken on duties such as performing temperature checks at the hospital entrances. And thousands of employees have been working from home.
“But we do expect significant losses compared to normal because revenue is way down and we’ve kept our expenses up by maintaining staff in place, which we think was the right decision,” Tol said.
Tol did not mention the help hospitals are receiving from the $100 billion allocated to health-care providers by the CARES Act. Portions of the money will be also used to reimburse the COVID-related treatment of uninsured, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
David Strong, president and CEO of Orlando Health, said in an earlier interview that the health system would burn through the first batch of federal funding in fewer than four days.
Got tips about testing woes, medical bills or PPE shortage? You can reach me at nmiller@orlandosentinel.com; call, text, Signal at 321-710-7947; on Twitter @NaseemMiller and on Facebook.
Editor’s note: AdventHealth is an advertising sponsor for the Orlando Sentinel’s coronavirus channel but has no input or influence on editorial decisions or content.