River Hospital continues efforts to resume the hospital operations, with safety as the top priority.
“We understand that patients may be feeling apprehensive about accessing healthcare services right now, and we want to reassure them that patient and staff safety has been, and will remain, our number one priority. We remain prepared to meet the critical healthcare needs of our community, while we continue to assess and respond to any change in the prevalence of COVID-19 in our region”, said Emily Mastaler, River Hospital CEO.
Throughout the pandemic, River Hospital has worked diligently to ensure a diverse service offering. Outpatient primary care, behavioral health and physical therapy have remained operational, and the hospital has significantly increased telehealth services to ensure patients have been able to maintain contact with their healthcare providers, while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
“Ensuring access to care in responsible and creative ways has been essential to the Hospital’s COVID-19 response. We are critically aware, that although some of our operations have slowed or paused, our patients need to be able to access essential healthcare services. River Hospital has responded creatively and innovatively, always putting safety first. As we resume, that approach will remain steadfast”, says Ms. Mastaler.
The Hospital’s ongoing precautionary measures have been developed in accordance with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Central to these guidelines includes close monitoring of case prevalence, both regionally and specific to the Hospital itself.
“The good news is that River Hospital, consistent with Jefferson County, has seen a relatively low incidence of COVID-19 patients, which affords us the opportunity to resume and/or increase certain critical elements of care, necessary to meet our patient’s needs without further delay,” says Ms. Mastaler.
As part of this return to standard operations, River Hospital will be resuming elective outpatient surgeries, as well as, slowly increasing access to in-person Physical Therapy and Primary Care appointments.
“Our new Medical Office Building has significantly improved our capacity for increased social distancing, further supporting those who need to receive in person care. In addition, River Hospital has implemented numerous precautionary measures throughout the hospital to reduce the spread of COVID 19,” remarked Ms. Mastaler.
Consistent with many other healthcare providers, these precautionary measures include universal masking, temperature monitoring, heightened cleaning protocols, symptom screenings and targeted COVID 19 pre-procedure testing, in alignment with state guidance. These measures are specifically designed to ensure the safety of our patients and staff while mitigating any potential risk of spreading COVID-19 to each other.
“Our commitment to the health of our community has not wavered since the beginning of this crisis,” said Ms. Mastaler. “We want to encourage patients to seek out medical care when needed and trust they are entering a secure and clean environment. We can assure you that River Hospital is safe and ready to serve the healthcare needs in our community.”
If you or someone you know have question or concerns about accessing any service at River Hospital, please call 315-482-2511 and let us help you navigate care.