Safely Providing the Care You Need

With Central Florida’s only Level One Trauma Center and safety net hospital, Orlando Health has the experts and the experience to deal with any situation. That has continued despite the threat posed by COVID-19. Our clinical workforces are well-prepared and highly skilled at caring for both routine and extreme cases of any type, including COVID-19. They can do this without compromising the safety of other patients, physicians, team members or visitors.

At Orlando Health, our hospitals are open and our teams continue to deliver high-quality care you can depend on around the clock. We recognize COVID-19 will continue to affect our community until a vaccine can be developed. In the meantime, we have taken several steps to protect you in our facilities and practices. You deserve peace of mind that you will be safe when you come in and get the care you need. Too often we’re seeing patients ignoring infections, seizures and even chest pains until they become much more serious situations. These delays could result in a wave of unmet medical needs.

But there’s no need to wait. It’s safe to take care of yourself. These are some of the measures we have taken to remove any doubt that Orlando Health is a safe place for you to receive the care you need:

• COVID-19 Patients – The number of patients at Orlando Health facilities being treated for COVID-19 has been steadily decreasing since early April, indicating we are on the downward slope of the peak. These patients represent barely 1% of our patient population. All are in separate respiratory care units with designated staff and equipment. A team member in each of these units is responsible for ensuring safety protocols are followed to avoid a contamination breach.

• Personal Protective Equipment – Assuring the protection of patients and our team is a top priority for Orlando Health. Much work has been done to make certain we have the PPE our teams need, when they need it and for as long as they need it.

• Testing – All patients scheduled for a surgery or procedure are pretested for COVID-19. Internal capabilities for COVID-19 testing are shortening the time it takes to get results for patients suspected of having the disease.

• Screening – As they enter our hospitals, patients and visitors are screened for common COVID-19 symptoms and less typical conditions. Our team members and physicians must self-screen. Universal masking also is in place.

• Visitors – Although it became necessary to restrict the number and ages of visitors, we found different ways to connect patients with loved ones outside the hospital.

• Telehealth – Follow-up appointments and new patient appointments with an Orlando Health Medical Group specialist or primary care doctor at Orlando Health Physician Associates may be possible through new Virtual Visit options. Now you don’t need to leave home to meet with one of our experts.

Like me, our hospital leaders, doctors and team members are focused on protecting and serving our patients today and in the weeks ahead. Our patients also are our neighbors, friends and family members, so we want to make sure they take care of themselves. And they can have peace of mind that we are caring for them in the safest ways possible.

David W. Strong

President and Chief Executive Officer, Orlando Health