Coronavirus information for patients (4/1/20)

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To our patients and community,

Your support of our healthcare team and each other has been amazing. We truly appreciate the outpouring of support and love so many of you have shown to our nurses, doctors, front line-staff and to our community’s first responders. We are so grateful to all of you who have taken the shelter-at-home guidelines from our state’s public health leaders seriously. That sacrifice is making it possible to slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our hospitals can remain safe and available to you when you need us most.

We are equally inspired by the ways you help each other. Essential workers have continued to go to work to ensure that our community has access to food, shelter, safety and healthcare. Shoppers have carefully navigated aisles and lines to practice social distancing. Families have donated food, homemade supplies and additional resources to help the community stay safe and healthy. Your response to this challenge is what community is all about.

Caring for you

Your health is important to us. Below you’ll find some helpful tips for staying safe, healthy and connected in the coming weeks.

Tips for staying safe:

• The best way to protect yourself from the coronavirus is to continue to practice social distancing. Stay 6 feet away from people outside your household. If you are over 60 or have a weakened immune system, this precaution is even more important. See how our mascot Pip the penguin is practicing social distancing.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds frequently, especially if you have left your home for groceries or some other essential purpose. Read this article that shows how to wash your hands correctly and watch Dr. Ronald Reynoso demonstrate handwashing and surface cleaning techniques.
• Continue taking prescription medications. If you have questions about your medication or need a refill, your doctor or clinic may be able to answer your questions by phone or through a virtual appointment without an in-person visit. Existing patients may be able to request refills or contact their provider through the Adventist Health Patient Portal.
• If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, visit www.AdventistHealth.org and click on the “questions about coronavirus” chat tool.

Tips for staying healthy:

• Find creative ways to stay active. Sheltering at home doesn’t mean you have to stay seated. Take this opportunity to tend to your garden, join an online exercise program, or take a walk to a community park. Just be sure that when you exercise outdoors you stay six feet from others and avoid touching surfaces. Or learn how to transform everyday chores into workout sessions.
• Ordering restaurant meals for delivery can be a great way to support local businesses, but also take advantage of time at home to hone your cooking skills. Check out our blog for some easy, healthy recipes.
• Stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on your health. Try a mindfulness exercise to refocus your attention. Prayer, meditation, breathing exercises and yoga can all be great ways to calm the mind. You can also check out these five ways to spread hope, without spreading germs.

Tips for staying connected:

• Social distancing doesn’t have to mean disconnecting from the world. Use your phone or favorite video chat program to talk with friends and family every day. Here are nine ideas for staying busy at home during social distancing.

• If there are others in your household, play a game, start a puzzle, cook together, or take turns reading a book out loud.
• Write a letter to an old friend you haven’t talked to in a while.

• Connections are important to your health and to our sense of community. Here are 10 ways to make new connections and help your community during this crisis.

Caring for our team

The Adventist Health team is ready and able to serve you.

Part of keeping our community safe and healthy is ensuring the wellbeing of our nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers. Adventist Health is committed to the physical, mental and spiritual health and safety of our team. Here are some of the things we are doing to take care of your community healthcare heroes:

• Our team members have access to continued pay and benefits. We continue to work on programs to support our team through the crisis.
• Support services are available to our associates for their emotional and spiritual health.
• We are working hard every day to ensure that personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns are available for use at the right time.
• Our caregivers on Adventist Health’s benefits plan and their covered family members have access to COVID-19 testing and, if necessary, treatment at no cost to them.

How you can help

Many of you have asked how you can help support your local hospital and healthcare team as they face COVID-19. For those who are able, a donation to your local hospital foundation can help with projects like supporting caregivers in need and continuing critical community health and outreach programs. Click here for more informationabout how you can support your community hospital.

Community

At Adventist Health we know how critical community is to the wellbeing of every individual. Together, our community will get through this challenge and become stronger than ever. Love, compassion and service can be the lasting memories of 2020. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay connected to one another. The people of Adventist Health are here to help.

For you,

Scott Reiner, RN

Chief Executive Officer

Adventist Health