Your Care at Holy Name During the Pandemic

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Holy Name Medical Center has resumed normal operations, but many of you may wonder, “Is the hospital safe?” The answer is “Yes.” As the number of people with COVID-19 starts to rise again in the northeast, be assured that Holy Name continues to practice stringent cleaning protocols and follows social-distancing guidelines while helping you and your family meet your healthcare needs and goals. Our approach to caring for patients who have and do not have COVID reflects the same level of vigilance and safety initiated at the onset of this crisis.

In the spring, we were the first hospital in North Jersey to complete a rigorous, deep cleaning of our 450,000 square feet of clinical and non-clinical space. We started with manual disinfection, then applied electrostatic sanitizing mist, and finally, blasted UV-C light to kill more than 30 types of pathogens—including COVID-19.

Over the summer and fall, we refined our procedures, continued our safety and hygiene processes, and made certain our inventories of technology, equipment, PPE, ventilators, and therapeutics were complete. We are using a $5 million grant from the NJ Department of Health to fund two district projects that will assist in COVID testing and preventing the flu: a high-throughput analyzer for rapid COVID testing, and three staffed mobile vans, each with negative-pressure COVID testing rooms that can alternately accommodate vaccinations.

We are also expanding our telemedicine services, recruiting nurses, and building a new state-of-the-art ICU for non-COVID patients who are critically ill or recovering from major surgery. The ICUs and step-down units that we built in the spring to accommodate COVID-19 patients remain intact to treat these patients with the most advanced care in areas that are isolated from our non-COVID patient care units.

COVID-19 is a type of coronavirus, which can range from the common cold to more severe respiratory illnesses. COVID-19 is highly contagious, and it spreads from person to person through droplets in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, and talks. It is also probably possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object – such as a contaminated handrail or doorknob – that has the virus on it and then touching his/her mouth, nose, and/or eyes. COVID-19 appears to be incredibly hardy and able to live for several days on surfaces and objects.

COVID-19 can be transmitted through droplets of those who have mild symptoms or who have no symptoms at all (asymptomatic).

A wide range of symptoms for COVID-19 have been reported. These include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nasal congestion or runny nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Sore throat
• New loss of smell or taste
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Diarrhea

The estimated incubation period is between 2 and 14 days with a median of 5 days. It is important to note that some people become infected and do not develop any symptoms or feel unwell.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without performing hand hygiene.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Remember that some people without symptoms can still spread the virus.

• Stay at home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of it properly and wash your hands.

• Wear a mask.

• Socially distance at least 6 feet when in public.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Perform hand hygiene with soap and water for at least 40-60 seconds, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

• Get out in the fresh air and walk.

• Try to limit trips for essentials, grocery shopping, pharmacy for medications, etc.

• Limit large gatherings of more than 10 people.

• Avoid non-essential travel.

Symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. In more severe cases, patients may develop pneumonia.

If you are symptomatic and concerned, it is important to call ahead to your primary care provider, emergency department, or urgent care center first in advance of your arrival, so that staff can guide you and respond appropriately.

Do not go to any healthcare provider without calling first. Calling first helps to prevent the possible spread of illness by limiting exposure to others. At-home diagnosis and treatment are possible for mild forms of COVID-19. This can be done through calls to your primary care physician or telemedicine providers, who can assess and provide guidance for treatment or next steps.

The antiviral drug remdesivir was the first drug to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of adults and children over age 12 who are hospitalized with COVID-19. Many other treatments are under investigation in clinical trials, including Regeneron's monoclonal antibody cocktail, dexamethasone, placental cell therapy, and convalescent plasma therapy.

Supportive care is given to patients to help relieve symptoms and manage respiratory and other organ failure.

Vaccines are currently in development and in clinical trials.

To find a doctor at Holy Name Medical Center, please click below.

Find a doctor

To learn more about scheduling an appointment through our telemedicine program, click below.

Telemedicine

Our visitor policy has changed to welcome back patient visitors into the Medical Center, seven days a week, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.  only and with these guidelines:

• One visitor per inpatient, including pediatric patients.

• One visitor with a patient in the Emergency Department, except for patients with COVID-19 symptoms. A visitor will not be allowed to wait with a patient who may be COVID-positive.

• One support person for a woman delivering a baby.

• One person to accompany a patient undergoing an outpatient procedure, who will be allowed to stay with the patient prior to the procedure only.

• All vendors and salespeople are still barred from entering the medical center.

All visitors must be over age 18 and will be screened upon arrival, including a temperature scan, and instructed to use good hand hygiene.