October 6 2020 By Dr. Fernandez, Coral Gables Hospital
As we all battle the challenges of covid-19, a concerning trend of people postponing their critical healthcare needs is emerging. According to the American College of Emergency Physicians, nearly 30% of adults have actively delayed or avoided seeking medical care due to concerns about contracting covid-19. All aspects of your health are important. NOW is time to get the care you may have postponed. We understand that these are unique times, and the safety and security of you and your family come first. At Coral Gables Hospital, we feel the same way. We know that many of you have concerns about contacting Covid-19 while in the hospital setting, postponing or delaying care could cause lasting and irreversible damage.
However, there are many serious medical conditions that aren’t going to take a break due to covid-19 and need to be addressed immediately to prevent serious long term complications. Minor issues can become more complex, such as patients that have diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure. These chronic conditions become more difficult to treat if left unattended.
Hospitals in general remain safe and we’d like you to know that at Coral Gables Hospital, we are committed to keeping you and your family safe. We have implemented many strict safety and cleaning measures throughout the hospital, emergency department, and the surgery department.
Following the guidelines of the CDC, we have implemented the following measures:
•All our staff is equipped with proper protective equipment
•Separate covid-19 and non-covid-19 sections of the hospital
•Continued reinforcement of preventive infectious measures
•Limited visitation policy
•Requiring social distancing spaces throughout the hospital
•Screening everyone on a daily basis including all of our staff before entering our facility
•Everyone is required to wear a mask and is provided one if needed
•Increased covid-19 testing capacity including the recently released Sofia SARS antigen test
•Monitoring all those that have been tested for covid-19 within our facility
•Virtual Telemedicine within the hospital to limit exposure to patients and staff
So whether it’s an unexpected illness, accident or any other medical condition despite Covid-19, it’s important to not delay treatment for any medical concerns you may have. Regardless of what kind of medical care you need, our doctors and staff are here and ready to care for you or your loved ones. Our dedication and commitment is stronger than ever. We promise that whatever health situation you may have we’ll be here for you and will provide you with the special care that we have always given to the incredible community that we serve.