Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Bi-Weekly Update, July 16, 2020.

Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Bi-Weekly Update, July 16, 2020.

The following was submitted by Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital:

If you have specific questions about hospital operations, please contact the hospital directly at 231-843-2591. The hospital does not respond to questions asked on the MCP or OCP Facebook pages

LUDINGTON —Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital is transitioning to a bi-weekly community update regarding activities and current information. Some content will be related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as new information or changes become available. Other content will be general information related to Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital.

For the latest COVID-19 information, visit spectrumhealth.org/covid-19. The dashboard below reflects the 16-county region served by Spectrum Health. Local information can be found on the District Health Department #10 web site at www.dhd10.org.

As of Tuesday, July 14, 2020:

COVID-19 positive cases. There have been 69 confirmed cases in Mason County, 389 in Oceana County, 26 in Manistee County and 11 in Lake County. Confirmed cases are reported through the District Health Department. There have been 4,364 specimens collected at Ludington Hospital, with 1,323 of those tested in the Ludington Hospital laboratory and the remainder tested at the Spectrum Health laboratory in Grand Rapids. Of those tested, 238 have had a positive result, which is 5.45% of the total specimens collected.  

COVID-19 testing. Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital is conducting COVID-19 testing in a new location on the hospital campus. Testing is available seven days a week between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the north parking lot off Lawndale Street. Outpatient testing allows patients to remain in their vehicle. An appointment is required. Please visit this link for directions on calling the COVID-19 hotline or scheduling an appointment from your MyHealth account: https://www.spectrumhealth.org/covid19/myhealth-screening.

Laboratory hours are changing: Effective July 13, the Ludington Hospital laboratory has expanded its hours to better accommodate patients. Outpatient testing in our laboratory is now available from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. We ask all patients to please plan your lab testing within these hours. Thank you! 

On-site temperature checks. All patients and visitors are now required to have their temperature checked upon registration or before visiting a hospitalized loved one as part of the on-site screening process. Visitors with COVID-19 symptoms or a temperature over 100.4 will be asked to visit at a later time.

Virtual waiting rooms. Spectrum Health has begun an initiative to reduce the number of people in waiting rooms in the hospital and in its primary and specialty care clinics. This effort will help keep patients safer to promote greater social distancing. Patients will call or text their locations upon arrival and complete a virtual check-in using their phone. Patients will remain in their vehicle until they are contacted to enter the building. The virtual waiting room process will be rolled out across Spectrum Health in phases with most locations ready by the end of August.

New Northwest Regional Market Leader begins August 3. Drew Dostal, former Ludington Hospital vice president of operations, has been selected as the new regional market leader for Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, Gerber Memorial and all Spectrum Health associated clinics in Mason, Oceana, Newaygo and Muskegon counties. Dostal’s first day in his new role will be Monday, August 3. He and his wife, Dena, are returning to the area after spending several years in the western part of the U.S., where he most recently served as CEO of Plains Regional Medical Center in Clovis, New Mexico.

Visitor update. The visitor policy has been updated. All non-COVID adult inpatients may now have two adult visitors at a time. These two visitors must be the same two people throughout a patient’s stay. For patients hospitalized with COVID-19, virtual visits are allowed. For adult patients in the emergency department, one visitor or guest is allowed. Thank you for planning ahead to comply with these new visitor policies. We are working hard to keep our patients, visitors and team members safe.

Ready for You. The hospital patient care areas and the primary and specialty care clinics are open and ready for you. The hospital continues to experience an influx of patients as those services reopen for normal business, with changes brought on by COVID-19. Hospital staff are working diligently to ensure our patients follow recommended social distancing in all of lobby and care areas. Hospital-issued masks are required in all departments and all waiting areas. Visitors will find them, along with hand sanitizer and instructions, at each entryway. Thank you for your compliance as we work to help keep you and our team members as safe as possible.

Wear. Wait. Wash. Wearing a face mask when out in public, waiting at least 6 feet away from others and washing your hands will help keep everyone safer and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Thank you for doing your part.

If you suspect you have COVID-19. If you have symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, we offer virtual screening and phone screening options for advice on what to do next. Click here for the links and free screening phone number: https://www.spectrumhealth.org/covid19

News coverage about masks and COVID-19.

Research has found that wearing a mask is one of the most effective methods Americans can take to slow the spread of COVID-19. Yet health myths about masks continue to flood social media. People worry that wearing masks will lower oxygen levels or cause carbon dioxide poisoning. Others fear they’ll develop bacterial infections from moist, sweaty masks or weaken their immune system’s ability to fight off colds. Spectrum Health infectious disease physician, Liam Sullivan, DO, helps to address some of these concerns. https://www.today.com/health/experts-debunk-mask-myths-malarkey-t185344.

Spectrum Health offers advice for mask-wearing and other COVID-19 protection (WZZM TV-13)
We’ve all grown a little weary of COVID-19 and the restrictions that have come along with it. But the experts are telling us that we can’t slack off now. As restaurants open and some summer activities resume, it’s even more important to be vigilant about curtailing the spread of the virus. Dr. Russell Lampen, infectious disease expert at Spectrum Health, shares tips and advice.

Michigan at ‘dangerous tipping point’ for COVID-19, health leaders warn (MiBiz). A coalition of business and health care leaders across the state said Michigan is at a ‘dangerous tipping point’ in the COVID-19 pandemic and ‘at risk of losing ground it has sacrificed for months to gain.’ The group cited increases in new daily cases in the last month after two months of steady decline. The ‘worrisome trends’ in Michigan occur as other states experience serious outbreaks, said Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Spectrum Health.

TOAST challenge. Throughout the month of August, post a TOAST to our health care teams, patients and community members on social media. Get creative and TOAST to health and hope. Post your image and use #SHToastChallenge. Challenge others and donate to the Spectrum Health Foundation Ludington Hospital. Funds will be used to address health disparities. Watch for more details coming soon.