Patient Memo for Jennie Stuart Medical Group
- 3/18/2020
- by Jennie Stuart Health
- Jennie Stuart Medical Group
What you need to know about COVID-19
COVID-19 is a newly identified respiratory virus that can spread easily. It shares several symptoms with influenza, but it’s treated differently. COVID-19 infection may appear two to 14 days after exposure and can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
The ongoing safety of our patients, staff, and communities will remain our primary focus. With that in mind, here’s some important information about receiving health care at one of Jennie Stuart Medical Group clinics in the upcoming weeks:
What to Do
If you are showing any signs of possible COVID-19 symptoms, please do not come in a clinic requesting to be tested; please contact your provider’s office first. A member of our clinical team will direct you to our dedicated triage line. If you meet testing criteria, you will be directed to one of our local testing sites.
Elective Appointments and / or Surgeries Deferred
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly, we want to reassure you that the safety of our patients, staff, and community remains our highest priority. As part of our response, we continually and carefully evaluate the readiness of our clinics, personnel, capacity, and supply availability, and keeping a watchful eye on the spread of the virus in our local communities and at state levels.
Effective March 23, 2020
• Elective clinic visits as well as elective surgeries and procedures will be deferred for four weeks or more. This precautionary step puts the needs of our patients and staff first, and helps ensure we have capacity, including healthy workers, to care for patients who need us most.
• We will still see patients who have acute care needs, such as illnesses, injuries, or required monitoring.
• By deferring the elective visits, we are creating more access for patients who need to be seen for acute care at a time when our resources are spread thin.
• Our care teams are currently evaluating patient appointments on a case-by-case basis. If your visit can safely be deferred four or more weeks without negatively impacting your health, your appointment may be rescheduled or may be converted to a telephone or virtual consult.
• If you have an appointment that can be deferred, you will receive a phone call from your health care team in the next few days to discuss your options. We will do our best to accommodate your needs in collaboration with your provider’s schedule.
Visitor Policy
As Jennie Stuart Medical Group physician offices continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 across Kentucky and Tennessee, the ongoing safety of our patients, staff, and communities remains our primary
focus. To protect our patients and staff, Jennie Stuart Medical Group is initiating new visitor
restrictions for all our clinics. Visitors who are ill should not come accompany patients to their
appointments. Visitors to the clinic may be asked about symptoms prior to being permitted to stay
in the clinic. We understand that these restrictions will be difficult for patients and their loved
ones. We must put the needs of our patients first.
Effective March 23, 2020:
• Visitors will be restricted to one healthy visitor per patient on the premises at any time.
• No children under 13 unless the child is receiving care.
• Exceptions to this policy will include allowing two healthy visitors for pediatric patients.