Medical center tightens rules regarding entry

Entering Cabinet Peaks Medical Center requires answering a battery of questions and a temperature check — for what few visitors the facility now allows and patients alike.

The screening process is part of the center’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 internally. Officials at the medical center ramped up restrictions as cases of the illness have grown across the U.S.

The rate of transmission has alarmed health experts and spurred officials at all levels of government to enact restrictions on public gatherings. As of March 24, cases nationwide had risen above 50,000 with the bulk occurring in New York, according to the Washington Post.

By early March, officials with Cabinet Peaks Medical Center were urging residents against using the facility’s emergency department to seek relief from COVID-19 symptoms. Although the county remained devoid of cases, concern remained that those ill with the disease — from which the vast majority of sufferers recover — would use the facility for treatment.

The emergency room “is not the treatment place of choice for COVID-19 and should not be utilized unless your symptoms become severe or emergent,” said Kate Stephens, medical center public information officer, at the time. “If you feel you have acquired COVID-19, it is important for you to stay home and contact the [county] health department directly.”

Three weeks later, medical center are preparing for the increasingly likelihood of the illness arriving in the Libby area. Changes include the cancellation of group activities, classes and support groups; elective surgeries; and the postponement of screening visits and annual appointments to imaging, laboratory, cardiopulmonary and diabetes and nutrition services as well as at the family medicine, Bull River, OB/GYN and general surgery clinics.

Officials cancelled services for the senior life solutions, cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation departments as well as the extend class and sleep center.

As for access to the facility, the front doors are locked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. throughout the week as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. Patients are allowed few visitors, to include parents and guardians of minors and a partner or coach for an individual in labor. Those receiving end-of-life care may receive special dispensation, officials said in a statement.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy and those headed into labor are entering through different entrances.

While the emergency department remains open, patients entering there must also undergo screening, said Stephens. Those arriving by ambulance generally already have been screened for potential exposure, she said.

“We don’t know how the illness will unfold in Lincoln County,” Stephens said. “But we are doing everything we can and working around the clock to be as prepared as we possibly can be.”

The health center has four ventilators, although officials are discussing ways to secure more for the facility.

Patients who flag for one of the symptoms of COVID-19 — fever, cough and shortness of breath — must wear a mask.

During a tour of the facility on March 24, Stephens pointed out the emptiness of the corridors. The gift shop was darkened and closed. The normally bustling cafeteria, popular among downtown workers, was quiet.

The emergency department waiting room, now only open on a case-by-case basis, sat empty. A patient who might be suffering from COVID-19 may have already exposed the rest of their family, Stephens said.

Different staffing teams — like those tending to OB/GYN patients — are isolated from one another, Stephens said. The chemotherapy department as a whole is “on lockdown,” she said.

“It’s a high-risk, highly susceptible population,” Stephens said.

The medical center also is taking precautions with its staff, asking them not to travel out of state for the duration of the health crisis. Business travel also has been cancelled, she said.

When it comes to face-to-face interaction with patients potentially suffering from COVID-19, Stephens said the medical center is “exceeding the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Personal protective equipment includes a gown, gloves, facemask and face shield, she said.

During procedures involving possible airborne droplets from COVID-19 patients, center personnel will don N95 masks, face shields and a powered air purified respirator.

For mental wellness, the center offers in-house options for employees and officials are looking at arranging external resources.

As for safety off the clock, Stephens said the center’s staff is well versed on what preventative measures to take to avoid COVID-19.

“Most healthcare personnel know better than anybody the importance of, for example, hand washing,” she said. “Most people in this facility know better, so that’s helpful for us.”