As part of UVM Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center’s preparedness work around the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital is instituting an outdoor screening and check-in station for everyone entering the hospital.

The station is located outside the hospital’s Main Entrance, where a large, heated tent has been set up to serve as a temporary triage area during a patient surge event. The tent, which is not currently in use, has a wood floor, electricity and oxygen service and has been set up for use in the event of a large influx of patients.

“Essentially we want to be prepared for this tent to become an extension of our Emergency Room waiting room,” said Physician Assistant David Griffin, who is a member of the hospital’s surge planning team. “It’s only going to be used when all the other usable areas of the hospital have been filled.”

Physician Assistant Derek Reynolds, another member of the surge planning team, said the triage tent will be staffed by a health care provider who can treat patients as they are admitted to the hospital. He called the tent a critical piece of the hospital’s preparedness work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You always want to be one step ahead,” said Reynolds. “Having this facility set up and ready to go means we are prepared in the event of a surge in patients, so we can provide care to those who need it most.”

For more information on home health management during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit the CDC’s website:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/caring-for-yourself-at-home.html

For more information on coronavirus and COVID-19, please visit the New York State Department of Health dedicated website: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

UVM Health Network has also launched a website dedicated to informing the public about the virus and the disease it causes. The website, www.uvmhealth.org/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx, includes updates with the latest information on COVID-19 in our region, answers to frequently asked questions about the disease, and educational resources from public health officials and experts at UVM Health Network.

You can help stop the spread of infection by:

• Using soap and water, wash your hands often and for at least 20 seconds each time you wash – especially after using the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Remember to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

If You Think You’re Sick

• Contact your Primary Care Provider’s office and remain at home unless your health care provider instructs you otherwise.