MDMC COVID-19 Task Force activates infection control protocols at hospital

SIKESTON — The Missouri Delta Medical Center COVID-19 Task Force is working closely with local health officials, State Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Missouri Hospital Association to respond to any potential COVID-19 cases in the area.

“We have strong infection control policies, procedures and systems in place to screen and treat patients. We are committed to keeping our patients, staff and community safe,” said Eric Slaughter, infection prevention/safety and emergency preparedness coordinator for Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston.

In an abundance of caution, the Task Force has activated the appropriate infection control protocols at the hospital until further notice to protect patients as well as the staff and community, Slaughter said.

Effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Missouri Delta will limit entrance into the hospital to the front (main) lobby and the emergency department. The front (main) lobby entrance hours will be limited from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. The emergency department will serve as the access entrance from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Only two visitors will be permitted per patient and all visitors will be screened prior to entry. Nonessential vendors, sales representatives and visitors ages 12 and under will be prohibited from entering the hospital.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, individuals should call their medical provider if they answer yes to any of the following questions:

— Have you traveled in the last 14 days outside the country or in the U.S. to an area with known COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak?

— Have you been in close contact with a person with laboratory-confirmed or suspected COVID-19?

— Are you experiencing respiratory illness symptoms such as: fever, cough, shortness of breath or sore throat?

“It is critical for everyone to respect the safety of our patients and staff. Please follow our guidelines and call ahead before showing up unannounced at one of our clinics or the emergency room,” said Missouri Delta Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Jason Schrumpf. “The call in advance will give us the opportunity to provide the patient proper protective equipment upon arrival to keep our employees and the patients around you safe.”

As the number of reported cases of COVID-19 continues to rise, members of the COVID-19 Task Force at Missouri Delta Medical Center are asking that the community take the guidelines seriously and abide by the requests to exercise extreme caution, Schrumpf said.

Individuals or someone they know who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or may have been exposed to a potential source of COVID-19 should call their healthcare provider or their nearest hospital emergency department before they arrive. They will be screened and the best course of assessment and treatment will be determined.

“We apologize for this inconvenience to our patients and their loved ones,” Schrumpf said. “We greatly appreciate the cooperation of our community.”

The CDC is the national authority on COVID-19. Healthcare providers and the public can access the most up-to-date information about the disease on the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/.