COVID-19 Testing Update

With the increased prevalence of COVID-19 in the areas that our facilities serve, below are the revised testing guidelines to be effective Tuesday, August 17, 2021. 

If the COVID-19 status of a patient is unknown, wearing N-95 is strongly encouraged for all staff coming into contact with the patient. 

All patients will be screened with questions and vitals prior to procedure. 

Rapid testing 

1. Patients suspected of COVID-19 infection for admission in emergency departments 

2. Patients being admitted to Behavioral Health Unit 

3. Patients suspected of COVID-19 infection for monoclonal antibody treatment in emergency departments 

4. Patients being admitted to acute care facilities into a semi-private room  

PCR testing (Elective) – This should be done no more than 5 days prior to the scheduled procedure 

1. All surgical cases that require anesthesia presence or treatment (blocks/intubations, etc.) 

2. All upper endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures, TEE, cardioversion 

3. All radiological procedures requiring anesthesia (MRI, IR cases) 

4. All cardiac cath lab procedures that have a high likelihood of having an overnight stay at Grandview (due to lack of private rooms) 

Procedural add-ons 

1. PCR testing should be first choice when required. 

2. Abbott testing will only be done with approval from Network Operations Command Center Incident Command physicians. 

Cases that do not require testing   

1. Emergent surgical and cardiac cath patients. (Patients may be tested if going to semi-private room or based on surgeon/anesthesia agreement.) Testing should not delay taking the patient to the procedure room. 

2. Surgical procedures that do not require anesthesia such as locals 

3. Pain injection procedures 

4. Cardiac Cath lab procedures (vascular angiograms, diagnostic cardiac caths, EP, diagnostic studies or ablations discharged same day) without the use of anesthesia and a low likelihood of admission.   

Patients undergoing procedures that require anesthesia and have not been tested will continue to be at the discretion of the proceduralist and the anesthesiologist. Rapid testing will only be done with the approval of the Network Operations Command Center Incident Command physician on call.