Keep up your
Getting healthcare is important – now, more than ever. Whether you have an emergent need or a chronic condition that requires routine care from a provider, patients can feel confident in receiving care at Skagit Regional Health during this COVID-19 pandemic. Staff and providers at the hospitals and clinics are keeping facilities clean and safe following the highest standards. Patients, visitors and staff are all required to wear masks. The number of visitors are limited and a portion of the Emergency Department is sectioned off to help isolate potential COVID-19 patients from non-COVID-19 patients. Staff and providers have access to the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and are following the latest guidance from Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
BELOW: Chief Medical Officer Connie Davis, MD, chats with a staff member in the Family Birth Center at Skagit Valley Hospital.
Still, physicians are aware that some patients are concerned about coming in to receive care.
Emergency Department Medical Director Krishnaraj “Raj” Jayarama, DO recalls quite a few patients in recent months who delayed care and arrived at the Skagit Valley Hospital ER with much more serious symptoms. “When these patients finally do come in, they are sicker than they would have been had they taken action with the onset of symptoms,” he said. “Please don’t let COVID scare you from the hospital and the ER. It’s a safe place to come for care.”
COVID-19 TESTING: AS OF SEPTEMBER 21 Skagit County offers drive-through testing for people who live and work in Skagit County from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. To find out about testing in nearby counties, consult the following: Whatcom County Health Department: 360-778-6000 or health@co.whatcom.wa.us Snohomish Health District: 425-339-5234 or cdquestions@snohd.org Island County Health Department: 360-678-2301 or pubhealth@islandcountywa.gov San Juan County Health Department: 360-370-7500
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Patients with potential symptoms may receive testing for COVID-19 at Skagit Regional Health’s Riverbend and Smokey Point Urgent Care locations. Check the Skagit Regional Health website for more information at www. SkagitRegionalHealth.org/the-new-normal
Examples include a person who had chest pain for several days and had suffered a heart attack that now creates lifelong health issues; a patient who presented so sick with an infection they needed to be treated in the ICU after waiting to come to the hospital; and a person who had “belly pain” for a period of days who arrived with a ruptured appendix. “We are seeing a lot of very sick patients and the acuity has gone way up,” Dr. Jayarama said. “We are taking all the right precautions. We are wearing the appropriate PPE. We ask all patients and visitors to wear masks. We can care for you safely.”
As a system, as of September 1, Skagit Regional Health staff and providers have treated dozens of inpatients with COVID-19, however, the number of positive inpatients at any given time has averaged in the single digits at Skagit Valley Hospital, licensed for 137 beds, and averaged one or less at Cascade Valley Hospital, licensed for 48 beds. Patients who test positive are cared for by staff with expertise in respiratory illness in rooms within specific areas of the hospitals with all appropriate precautions in place. “We are continually monitoring the medical science and our community infection status. We are in close contact with Public Health. Skagit Regional Health is staying ahead of the curve on our safety supplies and processes,” said Connie L. Davis, MD, MHA, Regional Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “Other than the protection of your own home, we are one of the safest places to be in our community. We are here for you. Come see us with your health concerns. Keep yourself on track for the best health.”
