PORT ANGELES – Olympic Medical Center has not yet seen a surge in cases that might be coronavirus.
But OMC’s CEO says they have plans ready for if, and when, one might come.
In an interview with KONP’s “Todd Ortloff Show”, Lewis says the number of people hospitalized at the Port Angeles facility is not high. At least not right now.
“Right now, Olympic Medical Center as a whole is very slow. We have had 24 in patients this morning (Monday), but we usually have 40 to 50 patients. So, we’re about half as normal inpatients very slow the emergency department is not experiencing big upticks. So I think it’s calm now and we’re doing well. What we want to do is stop the spread and keep it that way.“
OMC has put in place new restrictions that severely curtails visitors at the hospital.
“As far as visitors coming to visit inpatients or other patients, we are severely limiting them. Our front entrance is the only one that’s open. We will be taking everyone’s temperature, asking them some questions; if you have any fever upper respiratory, cough you really need to not go to the hospital as a visitor.”
Lewis says the OMC team meets daily to hone plans for how to deal with an increase in patient load. The hospital is licensed for up to 126 beds, and he says there is a regional approach to administering health care in the virus crisis.
But his big message to the community: Stay home, keep washing your hands and try not to touch your face.