Safe, Compassionate Care Close to Home

In early March, Huntington Hospital began instituting measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and help flatten the curve, such as cancelling elective surgeries and restricting visitors to the hospital. Even still, Huntington Hospital had one of the highest volumes of coronavirus patients in California. Thanks to the good work of the community, Huntington Hospital has seen a decrease in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since hitting our peak in April, though we are closely watching as our city and state continue to loosen restrictions for spikes in cases.

“I’m incredibly proud of the community’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this challenging time, and especially grateful for the outpouring of support for our caregivers,” says Lori J. Morgan, MD, MBA, President & CEO, Huntington Hospital.

Following recommendations from health authorities and bolstered by data that shows our infection prevention measures have been successful in preventing the spread of COVID-19 within our walls, Huntington Hospital resumed elective surgeries on May 11. The hospital is currently open for all essential care services and remains safe for all patients. “Now that we have entered a ‘new normal’ of living in this pandemic, we want to ensure our community feels safe about getting their own health needs met and aren’t delaying needed care,” Dr. Morgan, continues. “At the onset of the virus, many people were genuinely fearful about coming to the hospital for emergency care. It was an uncertain time. But essential health care should never be delayed. Now is the time to check-in with your physician or reschedule an important surgery or procedure. And if you need immediate care, please do not hesitate to dial 9-1-1 or come straight to the emergency room. We are here for you during this uncertain time and are dedicated to keeping you safe.”

Thanks in great part to the generosity of the community, Huntington Hospital has adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE)— masks, gowns, gloves and other supplies needed to keep patients, nurses, physicians and employees safe. 

Huntington Hospital also uses the following infection prevention measures, including:

• Universal masking and symptom screening for everyone entering our hospital. This includes taking each person’s temperature and enforcing our mask policy.
• Pre-surgical and pre-procedural screening (COVID testing) efforts.
• Enhanced cleaning facility-wide.
• Dedicated COVID-19 units with enhanced air flows, traffic flows, and work flows.
• Limited visitors to our campus and the ongoing suspension of our volunteer program.
• Suspension or limitation of non-essential services.
• Staff and physician training and education.

The hospital is still offering many virtual support groups for the community during this time, as well as services from the Senior Care Network. In addition, many of Huntington Hospital’s outpatient facilities have reopened with enhanced safety measures. For a complete list of these facilities and contact information, please go to: https://www.huntingtonhealth.org/our-services/outpatient/

As a reminder, each of us needs to remain vigilant and follow recommended public health guidelines, which include social distancing, wearing a mask in public and practicing good hand hygiene.