Materials will place silica packets in bags that contain N95 masks. It is recommended to keep the silica packet in your bag to reduce moisture from developing. If your bag did not contain a silica packet, you can get one from Materials Distribution at your facility. Please dispose of the packet along with your bag…
Admission Criteria for Suspected COVID-19 Patients in the Emergency Department
Most patients with COVID-19 have mild to moderate disease and do not require hospital care. The following are objective criteria which can be used to help aid in decision making regarding whether a patient with suspected COVID-19 infection requires inpatient care: CURB 65 score > 2 or Pneumonia Severity Index score of >90 indicate likely…
Appropriate Diagnostic Tests – Inpatient
Please evaluate all tests prior to ordering on COVID-19 patients. There are tests being ordered that have no immediate bearing on the patient’s course while in the hospital. These tests may be necessary for patients in the long run and can be performed after the patient has been ruled out for COVID-19 and as an…
Personal PPE for All Personnel
In response to the request from our health care providers to bring in personal PPE, the following process is being implemented to ensure your safety and the safety of our patients. Non-Kettering Health Network-provided PPE must be an N95- or NIOSH-approved product to be used for patient care. If the mask does not have “N95” or…
Physician and Provider Use of Personal PPE
A provider’s use of non-KHN-provided PPE is discouraged and at their own personal risk. If a provider desires to use non-KHN-provided PPE, the provider’s personal PPE must be presented to clinical leadership in the area where the provider presents for duty, so that the PPE may be observed and assessed. If use of the personal PPE is not…
COVID-19 Tests to Diatherix
Effective immediately, all COVID-19 tests for patients in hospitals and Emergency Departments will be sent to Diatherix. The ordering information is pictured below. Please collect a nasopharyngeal swab on an OPTISWAB, which must be obtained from the laboratory. Specimens should be brought to the laboratory soon after they are collected. Note: If specimens were collected…
Revision for Waste Removal Process
Effective immediately, it is no longer required to bag all non-hazardous waste in red bags for the rooms of patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19.
Payer Contract and Discharge Planning Updates
Anthem Anthem (Commercial Plan) distributed an update on policy in response to COVID-19 aspects. Within this update, it speaks to the fact Anthem is waiving the pre-cert requirement for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) from a hospital setting. Care Management can use this information while they work with area Skilled Nursing Facilities. We will be sending notification to…
Physician Documentation Reminder
Please remember that you must document the COVID-19 test results in your progress notes regardless of their positivity or negativity.
Clarification Regarding Wearing of Masks on Designated Units
After donning a surgical mask or N95 for the first time in the day, staff on designated units should continue to wear the same mask on their face as much as possible, including at nursing stations. This is to help limit the risk of self-contamination. Masks should be removed and properly stored when eating and…