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Visitation restrictions were announced Friday by WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center and Memorial Health System in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Effective today, Memorial Health System, which operates Marietta Memorial and Selby General hospitals, is restricting all facility locations to no visitors due to coronavirus precautions.
Exceptions will be considered if necessary for patient care, the hospital said. The hospital is advising patients to call their provider's office or location of care with any questions.
The restriction will be in effect until further notice.
The visitation policy at Camden Clark will go into affect on Monday. The policy is:
∫ Minimal visitation is encouraged.
∫ Visitors with a cough, fever, shortness of breath or fatigue should reschedule their visit.
∫ Visitors will be limited to one per patient in the hospital at a time.
∫ Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to visit the hospital.
∫ Visiting hours will be restricted. Check the Camden Clark website or call the hospital for more information.
∫ Valet services will be limited.
∫ Exceptions to the restrictions will be made on a case-by-case basis based on special circumstances or prior approval by leadership.
Camden Clark and Memorial Health System are the largest hospitals in the region. The facilities are cooperating and have been in discussions over preparedness for the virus and have been planning responses to local needs.
Besides keeping online websites updated, Camden Clark established a COVID-19 Preparedness Team and Memorial Health System activated an incident command team to formalize planning and response. The Emergency Management Department at Memorial Health System has monitored the situation since December.
"We are providing continuous education to providers and the community, guidance for staff with instructions if a patient presents to the ER, urgent care, primary care provider or any outpatient location, guidelines for testing, and strategies for designated areas for testing, isolation protocols, as well as specifically designated areas in the hospital for patient admission," Memorial Health System said.
The purpose of the COVID-19 Preparedness Team at Camden Clark "is to build upon the organization's existing emergency preparedness process to ensure alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) guidance as well as the system's preparedness planning in regard to this particular situation," the hospital said.
Both hospitals are following guidances from the CDC and state health departments. Memorial Health System is monitoring any spread of the virus in the community.
Camden Clark and the Memorial Health System also are experiencing high patient censuses, which they said was normal for this time of year.
Memorial Health System is working with local EMS, Washington County Health Department, the health department in Marietta and Belpre Health Department, local nursing homes, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, Central Ohio Trauma System, Ohio Department of Health, local law enforcement, fire departments and Marietta College, among others.
"We assisted the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department with a pandemic tabletop exercise and planning workshop for their community partners on (Thursday)," Memorial Health System said.
Camden Clark is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, WVU Medicine, WVU School of Health and Sciences and local health departments, EMS and the 911 call center to provide information and implement policies for the health and safety of the community, the hospital said.
At Memorial Health System, those who suspect they have symptoms can call in advance the 24/7 nurse line at 844 474-6522 or use the MemorialCareNow urgent care app to assess symptoms and obtain information about exposure history. "It will allow us to guide them in their care before presenting to the ER, urgent care or primary care provider," the hospital said.
People with symptoms should first call their primary care physician, said MarJean Kennedy, a vice president of Marketing, Development and Strategic Initiatives at Camden Clark.
"At this time, we are asking that patients contact their (primary care physician) office for initial screening and management of flu symptoms. WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center and its physician network is currently following screening protocols as outlined by the CDC. Patients are screened based on symptoms, recent travel history and potential contact with infected individuals," she said. "Should you meet the screening guidelines for COVID-19, additional evaluation will be conducted. We encourage individuals to protect themselves through preventive measures including washing their hands frequently and practice social distancing. Those at most risk or who are mildly ill should isolate and restrict activities outside the home, except to gain medical care."
Jess Mancini can be reached at
jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.