March 12, 2020 at 8:58 AM Editor’s note: SNMH has provided additional details, see below.

Some additional measures we have taken include:

  • We have temporarily closed all but three public entrances and added a screening process for those entering the hospital
  • We have limited the number of visitors in patient rooms
  • We are developing a surge plan that would be implemented if there is a large influx of patients
  • We are working with regional hospitals on how to share resources and transfers

We want to assure our community that we continue to adjust our approach to make sure we are as prepared as possible if and when there are confirmed COVID-19cases in Nevada County.

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GRASS VALLEY, Calif. March 11, 2020 –

The safety of our visitors, patients, employees, and physicians remains our highest priority. We want to assure the community that Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital is closely monitoring all developments with COVID-19 and we are prepared to identify, isolate, and treat any potential patient who seeks care at our facility. We are in daily contact with local and state health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our staff is following the latest guidance from these public health agencies. Sierra Nevada has the supplies and equipment needed to effectively manage the care of any suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients and we are continuously assessing the volume of supplies, including ventilators at our hospital.

We also continue to update the way we identify patients who may have COVID-19 as changes are made to the case definition. We have a screening tool and algorithms as part of our electronic health record system that help clinicians evaluate patients who may have the virus, and we are asking those visiting our facilities if they are experiencing any symptoms consistent with infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Additionally, communication with our employees and physicians is of the utmost importance and we have implemented added trainings for our employees and regularly conduct exercises for clinicians and staff on the correct procedures for using personal protection equipment while treating patients who may have COVID-19.