Keeping You Safe: COVID-19 Surgical and Procedure Guide
We are pleased to care for you at Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center! Thank you for your patience as we take precautions during the COVID-19 crisis.
Our priority is patient, visitor, community, and team safety and wellbeing. Therefore, we want to share important updates and changes as they relate to our operations to keep everyone safe.
Steps to Ensure the Safety of our Patients, Visitors, Community, and Team
- Screening (may include testing for COVID-19) of our surgical and procedural patients before arrival to our facility.
- Screening our staff, medical staff, and vendors daily per CDC guidelines
- Providing masks for all staff, patients, and visitors to wear in the surgery center
- Practicing universal masking and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the spread of COVID-19
- Strict cleaning and disinfection in all areas of the surgery center following guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control
- Continuing our strict policies regarding hand hygiene between all patient encounters and care activities
- Adhering to all state and local directives concerning elective surgery
- Staying up to date: our management partner, SCA Health, always works closely with the physicians and facility leaders to monitor and implement the most recent guidance from the CDC and other agencies
Screening expectations
To take the precautions necessary to protect you, we have added questions related to possible COVID-19 symptoms and exposure to your pre-screening surgical questionnaire. Please answer them honestly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is everyone wearing masks?
Safety is our top priority. Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center follows guidelines on masks from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health agencies. The CDC has suggested the use of masks to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
Our staff will use different types of masks and other protective equipment like gowns, gloves, and goggles in different areas depending on the unique needs of the patients we are caring for.
- Will I need to wear a mask?
The CDC recommends masks in any public setting where social distancing is hard to maintain. Patients will be given a mask, if they do not have one, to wear while in our facility for their safety.
- Can my family members come with me?
For the safety of our patients and staff, we follow current CDC guidelines regarding visitors. Please contact the surgery center if you have any questions regarding our current policy.
- Why are you screening and/or testing me for COVID-19 even if I do not have symptoms and/or if I’ve already been tested?
Screening ALL patients before procedures to rule out COVID-19 allows us to avoid exposing our staff, patients, or their families to the virus or creating greater risk to the patient during a surgical procedure.
Screening
- Patients will complete pre-surgical screening before surgery that includes questions related to symptoms of COVID-19, personal history, and recent exposures.
- Individuals will also be screened for COVID-19 symptoms again when they arrive for their procedure.
- What are you doing to clean rooms and equipment?
Our staff uses cleaning procedures for rooms and equipment that follow directions from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, and others. These guidelines help us choose the right cleaning supplies to use, the right cleaning processes to follow, and the timeframes to circulate air in our rooms.
Other questions or concerns?
Please contact your physician’s office or Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center. Our staff can help answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Orthopaedic Institute Surgery Center pre-admission Nurse Phone Number: 952-248-5972