The Emergency Response Task Force has been assigned to work out how to best move forward in regard to the Health Center during the global crisis concerning the COVID-19 outbreak. Life West is both an educational and health care facility and we are working to be responsible to all of our community.
In an effort to keep the Health Center operational and safe, starting Monday, March 16, the Health Center will be closed to our interns and patients for at least two days (March 16 – 17). During this time the Health Center faculty, staff and administration will be meeting to discuss effective measures to screen for potential compromised individuals and under what circumstances do we admit or not admit patients for care. Our goal is to reopen as quickly as possible, while being safe and responsible.
Interns will need to contact their patients via phone to cancel any Monday or Tuesday appointments and to reschedule once we reopen.
In regards to taking care of patients in the Health Center, topics we will be discussing include:
1) Can we as a clinic, based on guidelines provided by CDC and other public health organizations, effectively screen our patients for inclusion or temporary exclusion for participation in the Health Center?
2) Can we effectively screen our own personnel?
3) Can we identify to our faculty, interns and patients, those that are immune compromised and therefore should not be in the Health Center when we are open?
The same questions above also apply to our employees and interns.
Our primary goal is to consider the health and safety of our patients, faculty, staff, interns and all respective families.
On Tuesday, March 17, we will send another communication on when we anticipate reopening and any further details.
For Health Center faculty and staff, if you are expressing symptoms related to a cold or flu, or are scheduled to be off work, please stay home. For those scheduled to work, please show up as we will be discussing our operations for the coming weeks and your input is greatly valued.
Every day, new information is coming out regarding COVID-19. It is our deepest intention to be compliant with all government agencies, and to improve the health and well-being of every person who enters the Life West Health Center.