COVID-19 Screening Suspended at HRMC in wake of Public Health Emergency Discontinuation
May 12, 2023
The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) was discontinued on May 11, 2023, over three years after it was first issued by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. In conjunction with the end of the PHE, Huron Regional Medical Center (HRMC) has suspended several protocols that were put into place during the pandemic.
HRMC will no longer require patients or visitors to answer COVID-19 screening questions at kiosks upon entry. In addition, hospital and clinic employees including clinicians and staff in direct contact with patients will not be required to mask unless clinically indicated or requested by a patient or visitor. Per policy, if HRMC experiences a surge of COVID-19 activity consisting of five COVID-19 positive patients in the hospital or ten COVID-19 positive staff members, patient-facing employees will revert to masking.
“We’re looking at the end of the PHE with a sense of relief. We’ve persevered through a tremendously difficult time that will be marked in history and we couldn’t be more grateful for our staff and the community that stood behind them,” says Erick Larson, President and CEO for HRMC. “I’m looking forward to the connection our care teams can make with patients by greeting them with full smiles that were once obscured by masks.”
In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement for all HRMC employees and contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been lifted. Huron Regional Medical Center recommends utilization of hand hygiene, vaccinations and isolation if ill to avoid COVID-19 as with other viral illnesses such as influenza.
Visitors may call the hospital at 605-353-6200 or visit online at www.huronregional.org/COVID-19-information for the latest information.
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