Union General releases new guidelines, designates sick and well clinics

Health, News, Press Release
union general health system

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – In a press release issued by Union General Health System, the medical facility is updating its operating procedures and establishing sick and well clinics in the community.

In response to the Blairsville City Council’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency Ordinance, Union General Health System will no longer perform elective procedures/diagnostic testing, until further notice. The decision to perform procedures will be on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the patient’s physician, based on the needs of the patient.

*If you have a procedure or diagnostic testing that has already been scheduled, you will be contacted by the hospital if it needs to be postponed or rescheduled.

Beginning on Monday, March 30th, Union General Health System will designate certain clinics as either sick clinics or well clinics.  Union General Family Medicine will be designated as a sick clinic seeing both sick children and sick adults, Union General Pediatrics will be designated as a well clinic only performing well-child visits and the Union General Hospital Young Harris Clinic will be designated as a well clinic only performing well-adult visits.

As a reminder, for the safety and well-being of our patients and staff, Union General Hospital and Chatuge Regional Hospital, are currently on lockdown, until further notice. All doors are locked and will remain locked except the Main Entrance/Emergency Room Entrance at Union General Hospital and the Emergency Room Entrance at Chatuge Regional Hospital. No visitors will be allowed until further notice.

If you need treatment at either facility, a wellness screening will be performed. A series of questions will be asked and your temperature will be taken. If you have a fever and respiratory symptoms and have traveled within a widespread affected area within the past 14 days, or had exposure to someone with a confirmed COVID-19 case, please ask for a mask immediately.

All Union General Health System affiliated facilities have taken COVID-19 precautions. Some of these include, the Union County Nursing Home and Chatuge Regional Nursing Home are no longer allowing any visitors into their facility to help protect the health of their residents. The Union General Wellness Center and Union General Hospital Suches Clinic have closed indefinitely to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Union General told Fetch Your News that its respective nursing homes are following CDC guidelines for long-term care facilities. These guidelines include:

  • Restrict all visitation except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life situations
  • Restrict all volunteers and non-essential healthcare personnel (HCP), including non-essential healthcare personnel (e.g., barbers)
  • Cancel all group activities and communal dining
  • Implement active screening of residents and HCP for fever and respiratory symptoms

COVID-19 is being increasingly reported in communities across the United States. It is likely that SARS-CoV-2 will be identified in more communities, including areas where cases have not yet been reported. As such, nursing homes should assume it could already be in their community and move to restrict all visitors and unnecessary HCP from the facility; cancel group activities and communal dining; and implement active screening of residents and HCP for fever and respiratory symptoms.

Here’s a copy of the CDC emergency preparedness checklist for nursing homes.

For more information on COVID-19 and the latest updates to Union General Health Systems facilities, please visit www.UnionGeneralHealthSystem.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2dCWk85Zw

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