Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Responds to COVID-19, Warns of unnecessary emergency department visits

News provided by

Mar 13, 2020, 05:30 ET

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare today announced additional precautions aimed at better protecting the safety of its patients, Associates and others in our community.

Actions include:

Asking those concerned about whether they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus to avoid emergency departments unless you need hospital care;
Enacting new screening procedures at all its facilities; travel history, COVID-19 exposure, fever and/or respiratory illness;
Limiting access points to its hospitals;
Restricting the number of visitors to two per patient. Children under 12 will not be allowed to visit at this time;
Temporarily suspending all on-site, non-Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare meetings, events and tours of facilities;
Posting signs at clinic entrances with instructions for patients with fever or symptoms of respiratory infection to alert staff so appropriate precautions can be implemented;
Encouraging individuals to visit Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare COVID-19 website for latest information.

"Our experts have been actively preparing for COVID-19, routinely assessing and preparing in advance for all potential health risks," said Michael Ugwueke, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. "To ensure that we are providing the best care to patients who need it, we want to limit unnecessary visits to the emergency department for non-urgent medical needs."

It is important to understand that unlike influenza, there is no treatment for COVID-19. Most people with COVID-19 will not be hospitalized but will recover at home. CDC is encouraging patients with mild respiratory illness to stay home.

Methodist continually evaluates its processes to best meet the needs of our patients, and we are collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and local and state Health Departments. Additional precautions will be put into place as needed.

General Health Measures

As always, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other viruses and infections, please remember to practice good overall respiratory hygiene. This includes frequent and thorough handwashing, refraining from touching your face, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and staying home when you are sick.

Please call your primary care physician if you have been exposed to the new coronavirus or travelled internationally and have symptoms such as fever, chills or cough. Your physician will help guide you to the appropriate resources for testing and/or treatment.

For more information, please visit our Your Health by MLH Blog.

If you need a primary care physician, visit methodisthealth.org/primarycare.

Stay up-to-date with us on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

About Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) has been caring for patients and families regardless of ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch.

SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare