Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) recently resumed elective, non-urgent procedures and services that had been deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  “PVHMC is committed to the health and wellness of the communities we serve, and we are eager to see our patients get the deferred care that they need,” said Darlene Scafiddi RN, MSN, vice president nursing and patient care services. “We want to assure our patients that it is safe to get care at our hospital. We are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our patients and Associates.”

The following safety and quality measures are now in place at PVHMC:

 Associate and Physician Safeguards

· Associates and Physicians are self-monitoring their health to ensure they are symptom-free and able to work. Strict hand-hygiene measures and physical distancing are observed.

Masking for All

· Associates and Physicians in clinical areas are required to wear masks at all times. Associates working in non-clinical areas are required to wear cloth face coverings (non-medical masks). Patients also must wear a cloth face covering or mask. A mask will be provided for patients arriving without one.

Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

·  PVHMC has sufficient PPE, such isolation gowns, gloves, masks, head and shoe coverings, and we are ensuring that Associates and Physicians are using appropriate PPE at all times.

Enhanced Infection Prevention and Disinfection

· Our highly-trained Environmental Services Associates are dedicated to infection prevention. They are enhancing PVHMC’s already rigorous standards for cleaning and disinfection focusing on frequently touched surfaces such as phones, doorknobs, elevators, nurses’ stations, waiting room furniture, stairwell handrails, and more.

·  PVHMC uses ultraviolet (UV) light systems to disinfect patient discharge/transfer rooms for all patients in isolation or the intensive care unit and surgical suites and other procedural areas such as the Women’s Center operating room, Cath Lab and Interventional Radiology. If a patient with COVID-19 has received medical services in procedural areas such as CT Scan, MRI, Interventional Radiology or Cath Lab, terminal cleaning is followed by UV light disinfection.

Rapid Testing

· PVHMC is proud to have the ability to do rapid testing for COVID-19 using the most accurate platforms, Cephied and BioFire, achieving results in about an hour with the top echelon error rate of 1.8 percent. Rapid testing ensures that patients testing positive for COVID-19 are quickly isolated.

Visitor Restrictions

·  Visitor restrictions are in place. However, there are some exceptions. For example, women in labor and delivery may have one healthy person with them during their entire stay. This person must remain in the hospital with the patient—no in/out privileges. And patients undergoing elective procedures can bring one healthy person with them to the appointment (e.g., someone who can drive the patient home after the procedure). For a complete list of visitor restrictions, visit https://www.pvhmc.org/patients-visitors.

If an elective, non-urgent procedure or service was deferred—or a screening procedure is coming due, such as a colonoscopy—patients are encouraged to call their physician’s office to reschedule their appointment at their earliest convenience.