Patient, Visitor Pre-Screenings for COVID-19

(Honesdale, March 23, 2020)… Starting Tuesday, March 24, Wayne Memorial Hospital will begin pre-screening all patients and visitors prior to their entering the main part of the hospital. Pre-screenings will be done at the Main Entrance and the Emergency Department.  “We are enacting this procedure to help ensure the safety of everyone—our patients, visitors and our staff,” said WMH CEO David Hoff. Hoff noted that many other hospitals have already launched pre-screening areas or announced plans to do so.

All patients and visitors will be asked if they have any COVID-19 SYMPTOMS, have been exposed to someone with the disease or under investigation for the disease, or if they traveled to an affected area.

Patients who answer yes to the questions will be given a yellow sticker and asked to mask. Registration and the patient’s destination department (Lab, X-ray, etc) will be notified. Patients who answer no will be given a white sticker. Visitors who meet visitation criteria will be given a visitor badge.  All badges and stickers will be dated with the intended destination written on them.

If a visitor answers yes to even some of the questions, he/she will be asked to leave and encouraged to call their medical provider immediately.

Temperatures will also be taken; a fever of 100.5 is considered a symptom.

Wayne Memorial spokesperson Lisa Champeau added, “This is a rapidly evolving situation, and our screening protocols may be subject to change.”  She thanked the community for its cooperation to date. The hospital updated its visitor policy recently and restricted access.