USA Health safely treating patients in medical offices, hospitals and with telehealth

As the Mobile region is at or nears its peak for COVID-19 cases, USA Health has implemented a number of measures to make things as safe as possible for patients and healthcare staff in its medical offices and hospitals.

“We have recreated our schedules and enhanced safety protocols to meet the needs of our patients in a safe and secure way,” said Michael Chang, M.D., chief medical officer for USA Health. “We are vigorously screening before patients come in and we’ve moved about a third of our visits to telehealth appointments. We are prepared to safely see patients.”

Essential to the community, USA Health remains open for patients at more than a dozen physician office locations in Mobile and Baldwin County and at USA Health’s University Hospital and Children’s & Women’s Hospital.

USA Health, the only academic health system in the region, has recorded a limited number of patients testing positive for COVID-19.

USA Health was an early adopter of preventive measures, Chang said, including updating visitor policies, limiting access to medical offices and hospital facilities, screening all employees, patients and caregivers and adopting universal masking policies.

Adapted protocols to further limit potential exposure of both patients and healthcare workers include curbside triage for both hospital emergency departments, providing masks for all patients and the adoption of no communal waiting rooms for patients to sit in at the hospitals.

In outpatient settings, USA Health waiting rooms feature significantly separated chairs wherever possible. Visitors are limited as well.

USA Health continues to follow protocols set forth by the national Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) and the Alabama Department of Public Health as the COVID-19 outbreak continues.