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Introduction: It's Your Health Radio, a special podcast series presented by Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Here's Melanie Cole.

Melanie Cole: Welcome to It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole and today we're discussing receiving care at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Joining me is Dr. Larry Kidd. He's the Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. Dr. Kidd, it's a pleasure to have you with us today. Henry Mayo has started performing some elective surgeries and other procedures again, tell us a little bit about some of the steps the hospital has had to take to keep patients safe.

Dr. Kidd: Certainly, thank you for having me. The hospital has started to open up to more elective type procedures and that involves our outpatient surgery center, as well as some other diagnostic centers and treatments. What we have done is to expand on several things that we put in place previously. We've always had our emergency services available, people that needed emergency trauma or surgeries. We have been open for that. So we have had screening processes for those patients coming in for those types of care. In our outpatient or elective procedures. The hospital has developed protocols based on public health and CDC guidelines, which include distancing protocols. Our schedules have been modified such that patient appointments are spaced out. So there are fewer people presenting at our outpatient services at a given time. Their protocols related to wearing covers of the nose and mouth.

Our staff also practicing those same protocols in terms of wearing face coverings, hand hygiene protocols, those kinds of things. In addition to that, prior to a patient's appointment at the hospital there is a telephone screening that takes place. We want to ensure that patients have not experienced any acute illnesses recently and they are screened for COVID, potential contact, etcetera. Upon presenting, provide they pass that telephone screen, there's another screening that takes place at the arrival desk at each of our sites. And with that a temperature screening is taken another review since the phone interview took place is done to ensure that the patient has continued to be healthy and free of any symptoms. With that, patients are provided directions in terms of where they're to be seated, what they can expect in terms of completing the services that they reported for, for that appointment.

Host: So, Dr. Kidd, thank you so much for that answer. People have always been able to come in for infusions and such if they have active cancer treatment or other chronic diseases. Correct? How have you and your team been evolving care for these patients during the pandemic?

Dr. Kidd: Well, as you indicate those patients have been able to come in a similar process, if it's an emergency situation of course. For example, at our emergency room we have an outside screening process that takes place in order to determine which patients can proceed to a treatment area versus patients that might need further screening. For all patients that are presenting, we assume that there's a potential risk. So our staff are all wearing appropriate what we call PPE, personal protective equipment. So essentially there is really no difference for those patients in terms of their initial contact. In some cases patients are reporting for acute conditions which require surgery, for example, our surgical suites and any area where treatment has taken place, we have an enhanced disinfectant procedure that's put in place above what we would ordinarily we do. We've always had infection control practices in place. We have experts on staff, infectious disease, physician specialists, infectious disease nurses that provide guidance to our teams.

Host: Tell us about some of the specific procedures that are opening back up. Can people get MRIs now? What about screenings, Dr. Kidd such as colonoscopies, mammograms, things like that? What's open now?

Dr. Kidd: Yes, we have started to do screening exams. For example, our breast imaging center is one area that's opened up where we had delayed or postponed certain procedures like screening mammograms for example. We are now, once again doing those types of screenings. Again, the patients are screened by telephone prior to coming in. And then there's another screening once they present. In terms of things like colonoscopies, we are once again scheduling those procedures. And while those procedures aren't urgent per se, there is the risk if patients don't have their screenings done on a regular basis, there's a potential that a condition could exist that could be exacerbated before they have that diagnostic screening. So we do want people to start signing up for those appointments as well because we want to be on the side of preventative to avoid a more serious condition that surfaces later. In our outpatient surgery center, we're now doing elective surgeries where individuals again may not have an immediate need but they have put off a potentially a joint replacement or some kind of orthopedic procedure where their mobilization may have been compromised and over time while not urgent, if those conditions are not addressed, they worsen over time. And the recovery and complications could be more extensive, if there's too long of a delay to have those procedures completed.

Host: Dr. Kidd, how has telemedicine helped to bridge this gap while some services were put on halt?

Dr. Kidd: Well, we always had telemedicine available to an extent, but it was greatly enhanced once patients were not coming to the hospital. So as an example, we have an urgent care clinic on campus which is for more minor conditions. It's been open for the most part during this whole time since COVID-19 came into play and we've had to modify practices. We saw a decline in patients coming for minor things that needed to be attended to. So by bringing telemedicine online with those procedures we were able to address conditions by telemedicine of course, and provide direction and guidance to patients. In some instances, the condition would be more advanced or severe and we could direct patients to the emergency room. For example, we could determine is this something that you need to come into the ED for right now? Versus this is something that could be followed up at a physicians office appointment, that sort of thing. Or we could schedule a time for you to come in later.

So telemedicine for a period actually, we became more we were busy with telemedicine that we were with actual physical visits. So that bridged that gap as well. We also at our wound care center, we had patients that were not coming, for example, to have wounds treated that had been on a course of various type of therapies, that sort of thing. So some of those patients started to delay their care. By implementing telemedicine with those patients, the physicians, the nurses were able to observe those wounds, look at them determine how well they were healing. And advise patients as to whether or not this wound is looking like something we really want to have you come in? It's more acute and need of attention than say something you can put off for a couple of more weeks. Patients have actually, that have never experienced telemedicine before, they actually liked it. They actually found that benefit. We got good feedback. And so in that regard it's really helped to bridge the gap and get attention to things that patients might need more urgently versus we could set up something down the road for in house visit.

Host: Well, that's a great point. I personally love telemedicine. It's so much more convenient really, when you have something that you can discuss with your doctor that, as you say, does not need to be seen in person. Along those lines, Dr. Kidd reiterate and reinforce for the listeners that they should not put off emergency care when they do need it and what protocols are in place.

Dr. Kidd: Absolutely. One of the things that we're seeing in our community and across the country we had started to see patients delaying come into the emergency room, for example, for treatment. They might exhibit symptoms, for example, we weren't seeing as many patients coming in for what we would typically see in terms of signs of say, a stroke. And they may have some minor kinds of symptoms initially, but there's a progression there that's taken place. And the longer there is a delay in addressing a condition that needs to be treated, the less likely the outcome is going to be optimized. So the sooner individuals are able to get in to be evaluated. And it's okay to maybe not have it be as severe as what you think, but it's always better to err on the side of caution and to get in. There's just so many things that we can do to help folks, if they come in soon enough, if there's a delay, there's potential, they'll be irreversible things that will result. For example with the stroke, if you come in early enough, there's medicines we can provide there things that we can do and oftentimes we can reverse the symptoms.

We have people that come in and they make experienced some weakness, that sort of thing. With the proper treatment we can reverse that, but time is of the essence to get in. Do not delay coming in for those usual kinds of things that you ordinarily come in for. But again, the public has been somewhat hesitant thinking perhaps this is not safe. But clearly we've taken a number of measures above and beyond what we routinely have in place to ensure that we have infection prevention measures. We have the proper equipment, we have social distancing in place in terms of seating, how people progress through the emergency room. So I can't stress enough that it is so important to continue to show up at the appropriate urgent care site, the emergency department, to get those acute needs address because it makes the difference between a not so good outcome and a more optimal result.

Host: Thank you so much Dr. Kidd. As we wrap up, please just tell the community what you'd like them to know about coming to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and reassurances that things are running smoothly and are safe, should someone need to come to the hospital.

Dr. Kidd: Right. Certainly. I do want to emphasize again to the community that it is perfectly safe to come into the hospital that we have gone to extreme measures to ensure that our hospital is meeting all of the recommended department of health recommendations, the CDC guidelines, as well as in some cases we've gone a step beyond what are sometimes recommendations. We've added an extra layer of caution to that. We certainly, if there are questions folks can check our website henrymayo.com and get information there on how to reach us. We're happy to speak with folks over the phone and provide guidance in terms of coming in to be evaluated, that sort of thing. But again, all of the patients that present our screen, all of our employees are also screened every day when they come to work to ensure that they're in good health, that we are protecting both the patients, the visitors, limited visitation. But those visitors who do come in, they may be accompanying a child, a minor and then our employees and physicians as well.

So we've taken precautions to ensure that all of those individuals are safe. Our cleaning practices have been enhanced like way above and beyond what the basic recommendations are from the authorities that advise us on these things and we're currently reevaluating every day. We get feedback. But for the most part, what we're seeing when patients present to the emergency room, they come for services. They're sharing that they are very pleased and comfortable that they're in a safe environment and they are getting good care as we've done before. But also they see that we've enhanced our safety, particularly around this time of concern that the public has with potentially contracting or transmitting COVID-19. So we are very safe and we are here to meet the needs of the community. And there shouldn't be any hesitation to come in. We are prepared for your time with us and, we do wish everyone good health, but in the event you need us, you have issues that arise medically. We want you to come in so that again, your outcome can be optimized and our team is here ready and available.

Host: Thank you so much Dr. Kidd. What great information and so encouraging for listeners to hear. To see a full list of open Henry Mayo services, please visit Henrymayo.com. And that concludes this episode of It's Your Health Radio with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. If you have concerns, we encourage you to check the Henry Mayo website at henrymayo.com and click on the virus link at the top of the page. For more info, please share this show with your friends and family so we can all learn together what Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is doing to keep the community safe. I'm Melanie Cole.