COVID-19 Precautions

COVID-19 Precautions

 

Stay safe: protect yourself & others

Bigfork Valley wants to remind our community of the importance of maintaining a social distance, wearing a mask, and practicing good hand hygiene. The tools below can help you understand your part in slowing the transmission of COVID-19 and when you should seek care.

  • Wash your hands:  Regular hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent illness.
  • Wear a mask:  Bigfork Valley encourages masking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We continually assess the risk to our employees and patients and update our masking requirements accordingly. During periods of high transmission, masking requirements will be posted at entrances.
  • Practice social distancing:  Avoiding close contact with people who are sick and those that don’t live in your household can prevent the spread of COVID-19 in your community.  Avoiding large crowds and gatherings are also effective ways to protect yourself and others.
  • Get vaccinated: The COVID-19 Vaccine is safe and effective. Stop the spread by getting vaccinated as soon as you can and stay up to-date with the latest COVID-19 Vaccine information. Call 218-743-3232 to schedule a vaccine appointment with Scenic Rivers Clinic.

Watch for symptoms

If you are concerned about your symptoms, call your health care provider or primary care clinic.  The CDC continues to update the list of possible symptoms of COVID-19.  Click the link above for more information about the symptoms of COVID-19.

Stay home when you are sick

If you become sick with COVID symptoms, you should stay home except to seek medical care.  Get tested and click the link above to learn about what to do if you are sick.

If you are mildly ill without suspected COVID-19 exposure, you should get tested.  If you feel you need to consult with a medical provider about your symptoms and further management, you can call your health care provider’s office directly:

  • Bigfork’s Scenic Rivers Clinic

    • Hours:  Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays: 8 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
    • Phone:  218-743-3232

  • Bigfork Valley Hospital

Clinic/Emergency Visit Instructions:  Call your health care provider before going to the clinic or Emergency Department and ask what the best way is for you to be evaluated.  If this is an emergency, go the the Emergency Department or call 911.  Call ahead to the Emergency Department or let the 911 operator know you might have COVID-19.

Bigfork Valley Hospital:  218-743-4491

 

Visitor Restrictions

In response to ongoing risk of respiratory illness, Bigfork Valley recognizes visitor restriction as a tool to minimize exposure risk to our staff, patients, visitors, and community.

Any restrictions or recommendations will be followed per current CDC and MDH regarding source control measures.

Routine Restrictions – Emergency Department

  1. Visitors must check in at the screening stations ER Entrance- after hours and will be asked the following questions:
    1. Have you had a fever, or do you feel sick?
    2. Have you traveled within the last 14 days? If yes, where?
    3. Have you been in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19?
  2. Visitors will be screened for symptoms , which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, and/or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If visitors have symptoms or fever they will not be allowed to enter the facility or be asked to leave.

ED Visitor Restrictions

  1. Adult patient – Only one (1) person may accompany or visit a patient in the ER at a time.
  2. Pediatric patient – Two (2) visitors are allowed at a time.
  3. Based on the clinical team’s judgment, additional visitors may be allowed if deemed reasonably necessary by the clinical team.

Additional Restrictions

Additional screening and visitor restrictions will be instated based on the risk level determined by the facility risk assessment.

Moderate Risk

Visitor Screening 

Additional screening of visitors will be instituted based on a moderate or high risk level as a result of our facility risk assessment.  It will be up to individual departments to determine how to conduct this screening process.

Visitors will be asked the following questions:

  1. Have you had a fever, or do you feel sick?
  2. Have you traveled within the last 14 days? If yes, where?
  3. Have you been in close contact with someone who is positive for COVID-19?

Visitors will be screened for symptoms , which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion, and/or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. If visitors have symptoms or fever they will not be allowed to enter the facility or be asked to leave.

High Risk

Additional restrictions will be instituted in addition to our routine and moderate restrictions based on a high risk level as a result of our facility risk assessment.

Visitor restrictions

  1. Two (2) visitors may accompany or visit a patient in the hospital including all outpatient settings at a time and must be screened at the hospital nurses station or ER entrance with unrestricted visiting hours. The visitors are to remain in patient rooms.  Additional family members or friends will not be allowed to enter the facility or wait in lobbies or common areas. This includes hallways, bathrooms, cafeteria, and any other areas located within the hospital, to include nursing home, assisted living, and ambulatory clinics.
  2. Exemptions to visitor restrictions may be considered if the patient is hospitalized for COVID-19 during end-of-life situations based on medical staff documentation and approval. If the patient is hospitalized for end-of-life care and is positive for COVID-19, visitors will not be allowed in their room unless they don recommended PPE and may only utilize one set per person (will not be allowed to come and go in the same 24-hour period), supply dependent. Virtual visitation may be scheduled if requested. Clergy may also be allowed in the patient’s room for last rites given adequate supply of PPE.
  3. Based on the clinical team’s judgment, more than two visitors may be permitted if there are extenuating circumstances that would put a patient or visitor at risk for harm.