Comments by
Dr. Jeremy Robertson
Chief Medical Officer of McLeod Regional Medical Center

While people may be anxious about their safety at a hospital during this pandemic, McLeod Regional Medical Center Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jeremy Robertson outlines the many steps McLeod Health has taken at its hospitals to keep you safe.

Here is a summary of Dr. Robertson’s comments:
We realize that this virus is spread in a couple of different ways. One of those ways is through contact with surfaces. So, we’re placing an emphasis on wiping down high-touch or high-contact surfaces. We’re seeing an increased emphasis on keeping our areas clean — from the emergency department to the units, to the floors, to the halls and the walls. We understand that having a clean surface is one of the ways we protect you.
 
Another way this virus spreads is through respiratory droplets. So, when we identify patients that are having respiratory symptoms, it’s a priority is to get those patients in masks. This often happens before a patient even comes into the building. So, we take patients that are having respiratory symptoms, place them in a mask and keep those patients separate from other patients that are not having respiratory symptoms.
 
We also realize that safe separationis important. When patients test positive for the coronavirus, they’re cared for in areas that are set aside and isolated to care for those patients. They’re cared for by a very specialized and capable team and the outcomes that we’ve had in those areas have been tremendous. We realize that it’s important to keep our coronavirus patients separate from our non-coronavirus patients and that’s yet another of the ways we’re keeping you safe.
 
On our surgical procedures, we’re continuing to do those surgeries that are emergencies or time sensitive just like we’ve always done. Most other procedures, which are less time sensitive or elective, we’ve cut back to a very limited number or delayed to be rescheduled after the pandemic. We’ve done this for a couple of reasons. One, to preserve our PPE or protective equipment and testing supplies. Second, to protect you as a patient. If you have an elective procedure, we realize that this might not be the ideal time for you to be getting that procedure.
 
If you have questions about when elective surgery will resume, call your specialist’s office.

To find your physician’s office number, check our Find a Doctor page.