We're Putting Your Safety First

Hospitals and Physician Offices

We are using the same precautions we’ve taken at our hospitals in our OhioHealth Physician Group offices and outpatient care locations. We are:

• Performing symptom screenings of all patients, visitors and associates.
• Using appropriate medical grade personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Providing masks for all patients and visitors.
• Cleaning our facilities with hospital-grade disinfectants that kill the coronavirus and other viruses and bacteria.
• Promoting social distancing with the use of floor decals and signage.

Surgery Care

In addition to the safety precautions we're taking in our hospitals to limit the spread of infection, all patients who are scheduling an outpatient surgery who are not two weeks past their final vaccine dose must get a COVID-19 test.

• Drive-up COVID-19 testing is ordered by our physicians and available in several locations across central Ohio.
• The testing process takes approximately six minutes from check-in to completion, and patients do not have to leave their cars.
• Patients with negative test results can have their surgery as planned and are asked to self-quarantine at home before surgery. Patients and approved visitors are screened and provided masks on the day of surgery. Only one visitor 18 or older is allowed.
• Patients with positive results are notified and surgeries are rescheduled after they recover.

Imaging Care and Mammography

Before an imaging or mammogram appointment, patients will receive a call to discuss the details of their visit and answer a few questions about COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. When patients arrive, we will: 

• Clean and disinfect all equipment and surfaces between patients.
• Ask patients to remain in their car until 15 minutes before their appointment, to minimize the number of patients in our waiting area.
• Take the temperature of all patients and require them to wear masks.
• Enforce social distancing guidelines in our waiting area.
• Restrict visitors, unless patients need physical assistance.

Urgent Care

The same precautions we use at our outpatient care sites are used at our urgent care locations, along with these steps: 

• Online instructions and signs on entry doors ask patients to preregister over the phone and wait in their car until called in by the provider which decreases exposure time for patients and associates inside the clinic.
• Seating in the waiting room is spaced to ensure adequate social distancing, and guests are encouraged to wait outside unless needed for physical support.
• When COVID-19 is suspected, providers are performing hybrid visits – information about symptoms and patient needs is collected over the phone, and providers decide how best to see the patient, in-person or virtually.
   
  Patients can also take advantage of same-day urgent care video visits by scheduling via MyChart or calling (614) 788.6482 and seeing their doctor without leaving their home.
• All rooms and equipment are cleaned after every patient visit. 

Maternity Care

We are taking precautions to protect our delivering moms and babies. We are:

• Performing COVID-19 testing for all admitted expecting moms who are not two weeks past their final vaccine dose.
• Screening all patients by phone prior to their appointments.
• Screening all patients and providing masks when they arrive.
• Postponing many nonessential in-person consultations, like childbirth classes and diabetes education, or offering them online.
• Rooming newborns with their moms for their entire stay, except for necessary exams, testing or procedures. One support person is also permitted, but must remain at the hospital for the duration of the stay.
• Strictly limiting the number of babies in the nursery at any given time.
• Discharging patients as soon as it is medically safe to do so.

Infusion Care

Keeping your infusion treatments on track is very important. That’s why our infusion centers are taking great care to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition to the same infection prevention measures used in all our care sites, we are:

• Calling patients to prescreen for COVID-19 before appointments.
• Cleaning infusion chairs and surfaces with hospital-grade disinfectants.
• Using hand sanitizer as we enter and leave your infusion space.
• Wearing hospital-grade masks and gloves at all times
• Using special gowns and double gloves for the administration of certain infusion medications like chemotherapy.

Short Stay Care

Some patients who have acute health needs are directed to our short stay units, which provide hospital services and close monitoring without an inpatient stay. To help ensure your safety, we are:

• Prescreening all patients by phone before their short stay visit.
• Rapid COVID-19 testing all patients who are admitted to short stay units from an OhioHealth emergency department. Patients must have a negative result before being admitted.
• Performing temperature and COVID-19 symptom screening at the entrances.
• Ensuring patient care providers and associates wear hospital-grade personal protective equipment.
• Providing masks to all patients and visitors.

Rehabilitation Care

Rehab is an important part of recovery and continued heath, so we’re doing all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at all of our therapy locations. We are:

• Using hospital grade personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Providing masks for all patients and visitors.
• Promoting social distancing with the use of floor decals and signage. ​
• Cleaning and disinfecting all equipment and surfaces between patients.
• Restricting visitors, unless patients need assistance.

At Home Care

Home Care is an important part of recovery, continued heath and comfort, so we’re doing all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. To help ensure your safety, we are:

• Using appropriate medical-grade personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Requiring masks for patients, caregivers and clinicians.
• Cleaning our supplies, such as laptops, blood pressure cuffs and thermometers, with hospital-grade disinfectants that kill the coronavirus and other viruses and bacteria.
• Screening all patients by phone prior to their appointment and taking vital signs, including temperature checks, at every visit.
• Asking any symptomatic family members or caregivers to remain in a closed room away from the patient and clinician.
• Practicing hand hygiene at the door before entering the home, throughout the visit and before leaving the home.

Testing for COVID-19

Testing is an important part of protecting our patients and providers from COVID-19, and keeping our hospitals and care sites safe.

• OhioHealth requires a medical provider’s order for COVID-19 testing.
• If you are having a planned procedure at an OhioHealth location, like delivering a baby or a scheduled surgery, your medical provider may order a COVID-19 test.
• Providers may also recommend testing for people with symptoms of COVID-19.
• If you have an OhioHealth primary care provider, you can contact them to see if testing is right for you.

To see our testing locations and hours of operation, and get answers to your most common questions, visit our COVID-19 testing page.