North Country Hospital is here for our community!
The precautions we have taken along with new protections put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic make our hospital a safe place to receive healthcare.
We are happy to announce that we are again performing some procedures. We remain vigilant when it comes to screening, visitor restrictions, masking, as well as guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health.
How did the hospital decide to move forward with scheduling some elective procedures?
On May 4, 2020, Governor Phil Scott announced limited elective procedures could resume, which had previously been put on hold as Vermont’s health care system focused on preparing for, and responding to, COVID-19.
“Our testing and tracing program will allow us to work with our health care providers and hospitals to begin providing some procedures that were put on hold,” said Governor Scott.
“While postponing these procedures was necessary to help protect our healthcare system, workers and patients during this pandemic, we know these procedures are important to Vermonters’ overall health. We thank everyone for their patience; they’ve helped us make sure we did not risk our ability to care for COVID-19 patients,” Governor Scott added. “But we’re at a point where we can begin lifting some restrictions.”
How will my experience be different now compared to before COVID-19?
We have implemented several important precautionary measures across our facilities. They include:
- A process will be in place to screen patients for COVID-19-related symptoms prior to all scheduled procedures.
- COVID-19 testing is required for procedures requiring airway management. Testing should be done and not exceed 96 hours prior to the procedure. Patients will be required to self-quarantine between testing and procedure.
- We have updated our visitor policies, which will remain in place for the duration of the pandemic.
- We continue to follow the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on hand hygiene and social distancing.