At Southwest Healthcare System, the health and safety of patients and staff is our top priority as we continue to deliver high quality patient care while responding to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- If you have fever and/or cough symptoms consistent with the virus and desire to seek medical attention, call your primary care provider or an Urgent Care Center.
- Please follow all directives from local authorities, including shelter-in-place directives.
- If you are healthy and eligible, please consider donating blood as supplies are currently dangerously low. Blood donations save lives. Please contact your nearest local blood bank.
Hospital Services and Programs
The hospitals are fully operational. We are taking proactive steps to keep our patients and team members safe while serving the needs of our community. We are monitoring for symptoms in patients and implementing isolation protocols, if needed. We are actively monitoring and responding to all recommendations made by the CDC and our local Health Authority.
- Our Emergency Departments treat individuals for emergency medical conditions.
- Most routine appointments or testing at the hospitals will be rescheduled.
- Most community health education programs offered by the hospitals in the near term have been cancelled/postponed; please follow the hospitals on Facebook for updates.
Limited Visitation
The following is in effect until further notice:
Visitation has been suspended for the health and safety of everyone in our care, including in the Emergency Department (ED). Visitors are not permitted in the hospitals (with limited critical exceptions).
- All individuals entering the hospitals (patients, staff, contractors, permitted visitors) are subject to screening upon arrival at the hospitals.
- Any individual who has been in contact with someone with fever, cough or influenza-like symptom
- is within the last 48 hours will be prohibited from entering.
- Exceptions to the visitor restriction will be made for certain compassionate care/end-of-life situations, for young patients and for those requiring specific assistance. In these cases, visitors will be limited to a specific room only.
- Travel history will be queried; those who have had travel to an affected country, as currently identified on the CDC Travel Health Notices list, will not be permitted to proceed within the hospitals.
Thank you for your cooperation and for being an advocate for the health and care of your loved ones and all hospitalized patients.
Prevention
The CDC recommends individuals and families follow everyday preventive measures:
- Social distancing – avoid crowds and crowded spaces; avoid handshaking and hugging, deliberately staying at least six feet away from other people; and replace in-person visits with remote check-ins using technology.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
- Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60–95% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available
- Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
- Self-isolate yourself at home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms.
Donations
Southwest Healthcare System (Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar and Rancho Springs Medical Center in Murrieta) currently has the needed supplies to care for our patients and staff. As we look forward into the coming weeks, we are assessing our mid-range and long-term projections of these items daily. With this in mind, we have received an outpouring of community support offering assistance with donations of supplies in an effort to protect our team members and others as they care for patients with COVID-19. We thank the community’s support of our Hospital’s efforts to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, so we would like to share with you our need for the following supplies:
We are accepting the following items:
- Masks – paper ear loop or tie in original carton (NOT cloth or hand-sewn); unopened N95 masks.
- Gloves, non-latex, all sizes in original carton
- Face shields and eye goggles
- Wipes, bleach, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide
- Bottles of household, unscented, splash-free bleach
- Hand sanitizers
- Head covers, disposable bouffant type with elastic band
- Shoe covers, disposable
- Safety googles
- Gowns, disposable water-resistant cover gowns in original carton
- PAPRs (powered air-purifying respirators) and PAPR hoods.
We may not be the ones on the front lines, but you can help from wherever you may be. Please keep in mind that we will not be able to accept anything that is not on the above approved list. With gratitude in our hearts, we thank you for your support.
To arrange for donations for the hospitals, please contact Ginny Ince at 951-696-6104 or email her at ginny.ince@uhsinc.com.