COVID-19 Response: A Message for Patients and Families

COVID-19 Response: A Message for Patients and Families

Julia Sammons, MD, MSCE: I'm Julia Sammons, an Infectious Diseases Doctor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and one of the leaders of our response to the COVID19 Pandemic.

Since the crisis began we've taken many steps to keep our patients and employees safe. This has included universal masking, physical distancing and many other public health measures at all of our locations. In addition, we've postponed many appointments and elective surgeries and started using video visits when appropriate.

But now after much preparation we're beginning to resume more in person visits. The COVID19 Pandemic has been unprecedented in our lifetimes. It's understandable that many people have fears about going to a hospital or a doctor's office. And we want to reassure you we would not be reopening if we weren't confident that we could do so safely. Here are a few examples of the strict measures we've put in place.

Every child admitted to our main hospital is tested for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID19. We have special isolation units for in patients who test positive. We limit visitors and each visitor at every location is screened for symptoms.

Our teams perform the highest standard of cleaning and disinfection using cleaning products that are proven effective against SARS-CoV-2. All employees and visitors must wear masks. And finally, we've modified spaces such as waiting rooms to help with physical distancing. Our commitment to your child remains as strong as ever whether vaccines, check ups or surgery, your child's health needs are just as important now as they were before. Don’t postpone them. We're still here to provide the very best care safely. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you for trusting us with your child's care.