Northern Light CA Dean and Mayo hospitals highlight actions for phased reopening of services 

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Following the announcement by Gov. Janet Mills that Maine will take a phased approach to reopening certain business operations tomorrow, Northern Light CA Dean and Mayo hospitals are joining other Northern Light Health facilities across the state in taking steps to prepare for the phased launch of critical services delayed by COVID-19.

“Here at Northern Light Mayo and Northern Light CA Dean hospitals we have been overwhelmed with the support from our communities as we rapidly built our capacity to screen people for possible coronavirus disease,”  said David McDermott, MD, vice president of medical affairs and senior physician executive for the hospitals. “Now that our Governor has created a path to the safe reopening of our economy, we want to begin a safe reopening of many of the services we closed or changed to protect you. By collaborating with our system partners at Northern Light Health we quickly provided screening tents, education and reassurance to our communities. We rapidly built telemedicine capacity with Zoom visits with our patients and expect that a significant proportion of care for the near and long-term future will now be able to be offered with this technology.  We are working with strict guidelines from the CDC and professional societies such as the American College of Surgeons to keep our patients and our staff safe as we return to providing more direct patient care including office visits, imaging studies, screening tests like colonoscopies and mammography, and eventually returning to surgery and the full range of care that we provide in our hospitals to our communities.  Our number one goal as we stage our return to full activity is your safety!”

As it prepares to open additional services, some of the steps Northern Light Health hospitals are taking to ensure a safe care environment for its patients can be found below:

• Separate COVID-19 screening and assessment sites: To provide the safest care to all patients, we have established separate locations for COVID-19 assessments and treatment. Telehealth appointments are also being offered to patients with respiratory concerns. Ensuring there are offsite and virtual options for COVID-19 care ensures that medical practices can continue to provide care to patients in the safest environment possible.

• Screening process at all facilities: Everyone who enters our facilities will be screened for symptoms. As an added layer of protection, temperature checks using touch free thermometers are being conducted during the screening process. Those who answer positively to a screening question or have a temperature above 100.4 will be directed away from the facility and referred to the appropriate level of care.

• Universal masking and physical distancing: All Northern Light Health employees — clinical and non-clinical — are required to wear a face mask at all times while at work. Patients and visitors are also required to wear a face covering. Visitors and family will be encouraged to bring their own face coverings from home. Patients will be provided with a surgical/procedure mask. Those without a face covering will be provided a mask during the screening process to wear while within our facilities. Additionally, patients will be asked to maintain physical distancing, and scheduling of patients as well as they layout of receptions are being changed to accommodate it. 

• Visitor policy: We have strict visitation policies in place at our organization for the safety of our patients and our staff. There are limited exceptions to this policy but as a general rule, one visitor per patient, per stay. 
• Care at home through telehealth: From primary care to specialty care, telehealth visits are a convenient way for patients to get the care and guidance they need without leaving home. Although started during this pandemic we expect they’ll be a part of our care from this point forward—no more missing your appointment because of a snowstorm!

At Northern Light Health, we’re building a better approach to healthcare because we believe people deserve access to care that works for them. As an integrated health delivery system serving Maine, we’re raising the bar with no-nonsense solutions that are leading the way to a healthier future for our state. Our more than 12,000 team members — in our hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, long-term and home healthcare and ground and air medical transport and emergency care — are committed to making healthcare work for you: our patients, communities, and employees. Learn more about Northern Light Health and our locations across Maine at northernlighthealth.org.