Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N T A N A • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 66 WHAT ARE THE TOP WAYS THAT YOU ARE MAKING IT SAFE FOR MONTANANS TO RETURN TO HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS? BENEFIS: Protecting our staff protects our patients, so our medical teams receive ongoing education on the proper use of personal protec- tive equipment, and anyone involved in di- rect patient care wears a medical-grade mask. Our facilities require masks for anyone over the age of 5, we provide hand sanitizer to patients and visitors upon arrival, and social distancing is required in all areas—including areas where our staff would usually convene—to ensure everyone stays safe. BOZEMAN HEALTH: Bozeman Health has many pandemic-related and non-pandemic-related infection prevention measures in place. While most of our care sites have one main entrance, Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital has eight entrances. Only four entrances are open at Deaconess Hospital to help ensure proper screening management and help consolidate the high-touch areas where extra cleaning and sanitization is needed. We encourage people to contact their provider's office/clinic to see if a telehealth appointment is right for them. Bozeman Health also requires that all employees, patients, and visitors be screened at our open entrances at every care site. We also have a masking/face policy in place so that everyone is wearing a mask at all times unless they are eating. Social distancing floor stickers and signs are at every care site, along with hand sani- tization stations and the requirement that all employees wear the proper personal protective equipment specific to their role. We've also had visitor restrictions to help reduce the number of people within our inpatient areas. GREAT FALLS CLINIC: We have implemented many changes since March, including but not limited to universal masking, COVID-19 screening at all entrances including staff, or patients and visitors, limited visitor policies, social distancing require- ments, telehealth, and virtual visit options, enhanced cleaning, and COVID-19 testing before all surgeries and procedures. We also provide free masks to all people entering our facility if they don't have one available. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST PUBLIC MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HOSPITAL SAFETY AND COVID-19? BENEFIS: The definition of a medical emergen- cy has not changed with the introduction of COVID. People should not delay care over concerns about contracting COVID. If you have a medical emergency, our Emer- gency Department is still the place to be. BOZEMAN HEALTH: We want to reinforce to folks that it is safe to seek care when they need it. We can care for you. Seek emergency care when you need it—call 911. Our services don't stop because of a pandemic. It is important to seek care immediately when you don't feel as you normally do. Let us help you identify the issue so that you can get back to feeling well, instead of having it potentially develop into something more serious. People work in healthcare because they have an inherent desire to help people, care for them when they aren't feeling well, and do everything possible to keep people healthy. The COVID-19 pandemic has given healthcare workers a challenge that at times seems never-ending, but this is what healthcare workers have trained for—to deliver the best possible care, in and outside of a global public health crisis. GREAT FALLS CLINIC: Some patients have assumed that some annual or preventative visits are not occurring during COVID-19, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and more. However, we still highly encourage these visits, and certainly, patients should continue to schedule these regularly. AS NEW CASES CONTINUE TO RISE IN MONTANA, HOW WILL YOU CONTINUE DELIVERING SAFE HEALTHCARE? BENEFIS: Virtual appointments are more readily available than ever—more than 200 providers in nearly every specialty within our health system offer telehealth appointments. If a telehealth visit isn't the right fit for a patient's situation, our community can trust that we follow all protocols around protective equip- ment and enhanced sanitary measures. BOZEMAN HEALTH: Bozeman Health's number one priority throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is to keep employees, patients, and our community safe. Our pandemic response has been managed through an expert number of Bozeman Health leaders, physi- SOME PATIENTS HAVE ASSUMED that some annual or preventative visits are not occurring during COVID-19, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and more. However, we still highly encourage these visits, and certainly, patients should continue to schedule these regularly. GREAT FALLS CLINIC

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