Harney District Hospital (HDH) and HDH Family Care clinic are safe, open, and ready to care for you! Although COVID-19 is relatively new, emergency preparedness is not new to hospitals or clinics. Our staff are continuously trained to treat patients with a variety of infectious diseases. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), HDH and HDH Family Care have put numerous processes in place to protect our staff, patients, visitors, and the community.

Sanitation

HDH’s environmental services employees work day and night to ensure that the facility is thoroughly cleaned for the health and safety of our patients, visitors, and employees. Environmental services staff received additional training regarding cleaning methods to help stem the spread of COVID-19, and all cleaning products and processes are compliant with CDC, OHA, OSHA, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Special attention is being paid to frequently touched surfaces throughout the facility.

To help support the environmental services staff, all hospital and clinic employees are pitching in to clean their own work stations daily or twice daily, in accordance with CDC, OHA, OSHA, and EPA guidelines.

HDH is also pleased to announce that it secured grant funding to purchase a pair of mobile robots to disinfect its facility using ultraviolet (UV) light. These robots have achieved a greater than 99.9 percent level of disinfection against the virus that causes COVID-19 in two minutes. Testing was performed at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, one of the world’s leading independent research institutes working exclusively with infectious diseases. HDH staff are receiving training to begin implementing this exciting new technology to support its ongoing sanitation processes.

Employee health and safety

ALL employees must complete the health-screening process before entering the hospital or clinic and wear a mask and eye protection. They must also frequently wash and/or sanitize their hands and maintain physical distancing whenever possible. Employees who care for patients must wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE) in situations that require extra precautions.

Although some employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 exposures occurred when employees were not at work. It should also be noted that HDH is one of the largest employers in Harney County, and healthcare workers are tested much more frequently than employees of other industries.

HDH will continue its ongoing advocacy for practicing physical distancing, wearing masks in public and group settings, maintaining good hand hygiene, and staying home when you are sick to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Call first

Before arriving at the hospital or clinic, patients with COVID-like symptoms (such as fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea) are urged to call HDH Family Care at 541-573-2074 to identify the safest way to receive care. The clinic’s hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The clinic is currently closed on Saturday and Sunday. After hours, symptomatic patients should call the hospital at 541-573-7281 and press 6 for nursing advice. Of course, anyone who is having a medical emergency should call 911 and tell the dispatcher about their symptoms.

Health screening

Anyone wishing to enter the hospital or clinic must first go through the health-screening process. For your convenience, health-screening stations are located near the main entrances to the hospital and clinic. After hours, health screening will take place near the emergency department entrance. Health screeners will take your temperature and ask you a series of questions. Anyone who answers “yes” to health-screening questions and/or has a temperature of 100 degrees or more will be isolated and treated in appropriate spaces by highly trained staff.

Face coverings required

Everyone over the age of 2 is required to wear a face covering the entire time that they are in the hospital or clinic (unless they are specifically instructed to remove their face covering to receive medical care). Face coverings must be worn properly (over the mouth and nose).

Visitor restrictions in place

To promote physical distancing and reduce patient exposure to viruses circulating in our community, HDH and HDH Family Care clinic are restricting visitors until further notice.

INPATIENTS who are being treated for any infectious illness may NOT have visitors UNLESS:

• They are end-of-life. This designation will be determined by the medical provider who is in charge of the patient’s care. TWO individuals may visit these patients each day.

• They are hospitalized patients who are under the age of 18. These patients may have TWO parent or guardian visitors.

• They need assistance due to a disability. ONE essential individual may visit these patients each day.

Visitors will not be allowed in the emergency department unless the patient is under the age of 18 or requires assistance due to a disability.

All other INPATIENTS may have ONE visitor per day, unless they are end-of-life or under the age of 18. End-of-life patients (as determined by their medical provider) may have TWO visitors at a time. Hospitalized patients who are under the age of 18 may have TWO parent or guardian visitors.

Hospital OUTPATIENTS may NOT have visitors unless they are under the age of 18 or require assistance due to a disability. These patients may have ONE essential visitor. Obstetrics (OB) patients who come in for an ultrasound may have ONE adult visitor.

CLINIC patients may have ONE visitor.

All visitors must:

• Have NO fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea. If they start to experience these symptoms, they must leave the facility.

• Be the only person/people visiting the patient that day.

• Stay in the patient’s room. They will not be permitted to come and go from the facility throughout the day.

• Not loiter anywhere on campus.

• Wear a mask the entire time they are in the facility in order to protect our patients and staff. Those who do not wear a mask will be asked to leave.

• Frequently perform hand hygiene.

Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Caring for the community

HDH’s vision is to be the healthcare partner of choice for our community. The staff of the hospital and clinic are honored to care for you, and your health and safety will always be their number one priority.