Yes, that orange tent outside of John Peter Smith Hospital is for COVID-19 screening
A large, orange tent used for screening COVID-19 patients has been erected at the entrance of John Peter Smith Hospital’s ER.
The tent was constructed overnight from Thursday to Friday so people coming to the hospital during the COVID-19 screening process can be diverted for analysis by a healthcare provider, a hospital spokeswoman said. The tent will be in use beginning Monday.
The JPS Health Network has also taken other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to healthy patients including:
▪ Visitors under the age of 18 will not be allowed into JPS facilities.
▪ JPS visitors are limited to one per patient.
▪ No visitors will be allowed into the Emergency Department except in the case of minor patients who can be accompanied by one parent.
▪ Everyone entering JPS hospitals and clinics will be screened for COVID-19 exposure, including JPS team members.
▪ Team member screening will go into effect Friday morning. This will include questions about recent travel, possible symptoms and possible exposure to anyone at-risk for COVID-19.
▪ Anyone with illness or fever will be asked to return home.
“There is a limited amount of space we’re working in and we need to control the number of visitors we have in order to maintain proper social distancing,” said Jesse DeWaard, executive director of emergency services and emergency management.
All JPS employees will report to designated entrances where they will have their temperature taken and they will be asked questions about their travel history. DeWaard said employees who have a fever or who have visited areas with a high level of COVID-19 exposure will be sent home for self-quarantine and asked to contact Occupational Health for further screening.
“We need to be sure that everyone who comes into our facilities is safe to care for patients or to be around other members of our workforce,” DeWaard said.
In addition to increased visitor restrictions and screenings, JPS has taken other steps to protect against the spread of COVID-19:
▪ All seated dining areas are closed. To-go meals will still be available.
▪ Employees have been reassigned to screening areas throughout JPS locations.
▪ JPS team members are encouraged to maintain social distancing by canceling meetings in close quarters and utilizing conference calling and teleconference capabilities when necessary.
▪ Travel and PTO restrictions have been put in place to insure JPS is fully ready to care for the community as needed.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
