Red Bud Regional Hospital Resumes Services Previously Restricted Due To COVID-19
Efforts are part of Illinois's Phase 1 Reopening Plan
Red Bud Regional Hospital has resumed services that had previously been restricted due to the coronavirus outbreak. A phased reactivation began May 11 in accordance with Illinois Department of Health guidelines.
“Like so many hospitals across the country, we have focused our services on the pandemic,” said Shane Watson, CEO at Red Bud Regional Hospital. “But unlike hospitals in more populated regions, we have treated a smaller number of COVID-19 cases and were able to begin resuming our full range of essential services.”
The hospital’s reactivation plan included resuming elective surgeries, ancillary testing, outpatient specialty clinics, Express Care walk-in clinic, and in person primary care clinics. Separate entrances, waiting rooms and exam rooms have been designated for non-COVID-19 patients who are returning to the Hospital or Clinics for routine care. These patients enter through the Hospital’s main lobby where they are screened and registered. Depending on the scheduled procedure, some registrations are completed over the phone with special instructions to call once entering the parking lot. This allows the Hospital and Clinic staff to meet the patient at the Main Lobby door and take them directly into an exam room, allowing patients to bypass the waiting rooms.
In addition to these extra safety precautions, surgical patients are being tested for COVID-19 in advance of their procedure to meet State guidelines and requirements. Patients must test negative within 72 hours of a scheduled surgical procedure and self-quarantine until the day of surgery.
“The hospital has always had stringent infection control protocols in place and we’ve enhanced those precautions in light of COVID-19,” said Watson. “Please do not postpone needed medical screenings due to fear of contracting COVID-19. Our team is well versed in the processes needed to safely welcome you back in all areas. We will help guide you through this new landscape. We are open, safe and ready to care for you and your family.”