March 20, 2020
COVID-19 Resources
At this time, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is monitoring a rapidly emerging outbreak of COVID-19.
The SCMA is participating on calls with DHEC and the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) regularly and will send out additional emails as the COVID-19 issue develops. Below are state and federal resources to prepare for a patient who presents with COVID-19, as well as updated information from our March 3rd email compiling state and federal resources to facilitate finding answers on COVID-19.
What to do if a potential COVID-19 patient presents at your office?
DHEC recommends quarantining the person in a private room until a sample can be obtained for testing, and recommends that a patient not be sent to the hospital unless emergency care is required. Instead, please reach out to DHEC and coordinate collection and testing. More information and the regional consultant phone numbers to contact DHEC can be found here. If an issue occurs during the night/weekends, please call 1-888-847-0902 and an answering service will connect you with the DHEC consultant on call.
Where should you refer a patient who asks where to be tested for COVID-19 (assuming no emergency)?
There are multiple hospitals providing free telehealth screenings using the promo code "COVID-19." The virtual screening tools allow hospitals to screen and provide specific plans to test patients when needed:
How should my healthcare facility prepare for COVID-19?
Both DHEC here and the CDC here have provided great clinical guidance. Some practical tips to think about include:
- Remind your employees that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restricts when protected health information may be disclosed.
- Make sure that if a patient presents with COVID-19, your office has a communication strategy in place to disseminate information properly to DHEC or the media if needed. Reporting information for DHEC can be found here.
- Take a moment to review your sick leave policies with employees. Consider any adjustments you should make to ensure employees will stay home if sick. Make sure employees are clear that they should stay home if they have symptoms of acute respiratory illness. If someone becomes sick after arriving, separate the sick employee and send him or her home.
- Perform routine environmental cleanings and emphasize respiratory etiquette with your staff.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published interim guidance for businesses here.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES YOU CAN USE
Where can you find information on next steps?The CDC has published Criteria to Guide Evaluation of a Person Under Investigation for COVID-19and Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed COVID-19 among other great resources. The CDC also has a latest updates button on the COVID-19 outbreak here. Current information, including the location of known cases in the U.S., are provided.
Looking for local resources? The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has its own site with local resources and updates here. The SCHA has a resource page for hospitals with up-to-date information here. And the AMA has a website with information here.
Tired of answering the same questions all day? The CDC has handouts and posters you can use in your office to inform the public on what to do, how best to stop the spread of germs, and the symptoms of COVID-19. The handouts are available for download in English, Spanish, and Chinese
