Changes at Center for Family Health in Response to Pandemic

(July 13, 2020 10:40 AM) The Center for Family Health is making changes to keep patients even safer in the new world of COVID-19 and beyond. 

“Three times a week we talk about our processes and how we can improve our policies,” said Kim Hinkle, the Quality Improvement Director for CFH.

While no one knows what the “new normal” will ultimately be, the Center has already made some decisions about doing things differently.

Starting soon, the Center will enact a system to avoid situations where patients gather together in waiting-room lobbies prior to appointments with providers.

“We are going to start contact-less registration and sign-in,” Hinkle said. 

The system, which will stay in place for the immediate future, will have patients wait in their cars when they arrive for appointments. When they are ready to see the provider, patients will be notified to come inside.

Several changes to CFH facilities are already in the works.

The revolving door at the entrance to the Downtown Facility at 505 N. Jackson Street will be permanently removed because everyone who uses it must touch it. The revolving door will be replaced with a hands-free automatic door.

Ventilation systems at the Downtown Facility are in line for upgrades. High-efficiency air filters will be installed and the ventilation system will keep circulating air around the clock, instead of being shut down when the building is closed. Those changes will better remove air-borne contaminants, Hinkle said.

Smaller changes already enacted or soon to come include hands-free hand-sanitizer dispensers, ultraviolet lights to kill viruses on equipment, and Plexiglas barriers to better separate visitors and staff.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold, the Center will continue to evaluate facilities and policies to keep patients and employees as safe as possible.