Ashley Regional Medical Center is being proactive about COVID-19 preparedness. ARMC Chief Nursing Officer Greg Gardiner shared with Evans Family Media what has and is being done. Ashley Regional is working with TriCounty Health Department on a daily basis and has implemented their emergency management plan. The facility has visitor restriction policies in place to limit access into the hospital. Every visitor is screened for COVID-19 and from there the proper response can be determined. The main part of the hospital is allowing only 1 visitor per patient and the ER is not allowing visitors except pediatric patients may have one adult with them. If a COVID-19 patient was admitted the hospital has isolation rooms as well as other rooms that could quarantine patients following CDC guidelines. What if there was an influx of patients needing ventilators or respiratory equipment? Gardiner explains that it would depend on the influx but they have the amount needed to take care of patients appropriately here and depending on the severity of the illness decisions would be made if patients needed to be transferred or not. Ashley Regional staff are using appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment). They are doing what they can to save the PPE supplies and have had community members involved by making masks out of regular fabric for the community to use when at the hospital so that the medical supply can be saved for the hospital staff. Make sure if you are feeling sick that you call your primary care provider first before just showing up. If you do not have a primary care provider, please call Ashley Regional Medical Center at 435-781-6807.
