Healthcare Defined as Essential, Even When Unrelated to COVID-19
HILLSDALE, Mich.—Hillsdale Hospital and its outpatient clinics and services remain open during the Stay Safe, Stay Home executive order issued by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Monday. Healthcare is defined as essential under the order, and residents are permitted to leave their homes for doctors’ appointments, physical therapy, testing and other healthcare services.
“Hillsdale Hospital and our clinics remain open and fully operational during this time,” JJ Hodshire, chief operating officer, said. “While certain procedures have been limited due to a previous executive order, the vast majority of the health care services we provide remain accessible to our community.”
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Hillsdale Hospital and its clinics served more than 2,500 patients a week through hospital stays, home care visits, outpatient services, emergency room visits, deliveries in the birthing center and more.
“The normal healthcare needs of our community haven’t disappeared due to COVID-19,” Hodshire said. “The health of our patients remains essential and we are still here taking care of them, virus or not.”
While a limited number of procedures have been prohibited by the governor, unless a patient hears directly from their doctor’s office that an appointment or procedure has been cancelled, their healthcare will be uninterrupted.
“Our hospital and health care facilities are safer than ever,” Randy Holland, infection control officer, said. “We screen every individual who enters our facilities for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure. Should they fail to meet the screening criteria, we don’t allow them to enter the hospital, and provide appropriate medical advice and care based on the severity of their symptoms.”
In most cases, hospital staff instruct the individual to call their doctor or return home to self-isolate. If the patient needs immediate medical attention, they place a mask on the individual, bring them into the emergency room via a separate entrance, and put them in a negative pressure room before evaluating and treating them.
“There is less risk of exposure to respiratory illness in the hospital than there would be during your average flu season,” Holland said. “We are taking this outbreak very seriously so we can continue to provide the care our community desperately needs.”
For a complete listing of Hillsdale Hospital’s locations and clinics, visit hillsdalehospital.com/locations. For more information on Hillsdale Hospital’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, visit hillsdalehospital.com/coronavirus.
