Local Health Providers Updates

What can I do now to prevent infection?

• Wash your hands frequently.

• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

• Stay 6 feet apart from people. Stay home

• Wipe down surfaces frequently... faucets, kitchen handles, doorknobs, and especially cell phones. Use the speaker button on your phone instead of bringing it to your face.

What can I do to prepare in case I get an infection?

• Doctors find it very helpful to know a detailed timeline of your symptoms. It helps if you can track your symptoms and dates of exposure.

• Download the IUHealth Virtual Screening App and Sign up for the SICHC Follow My Health Portal for virtual visits

What should I do if I am exposed?

• Typically, exposure means being around someone at least 15 minutes, but contact with surfaces and lack of hand hygiene could increase risk.

• Self-quarantine from all contact for 14 days.

What should I do if I am sick?

• High Risk Patients with chronic health problems like uncontrolled diabetes, emphysema, immune system problems, heart disease, etc... Call early on in your symptoms. Ask your primary care provider if you are at high risk or read the CDC Definition of High Risk Person.

• Lower Risk Patients who are young, with no chronic or complicated health conditions please stay home and self-quarantine. You will likely have minor symptoms i.e. low-grade temp, minor cough. If you have concerns you are getting sicker, please call for a telehealth screening.

• If you have new shortness of breath (not anxiety related), call the hospital to tell them you are coming to the ER.

• Please stay as calm as possible and focus on self-care. Turn off the TV news or anything that is going to heighten your anxiety. Go outside and move around. A daily walk is important to avoid getting leg blood clots. Walk with your family or sit on the patio just be at least 6 feet away from each other, wear a mask, and sanitize surfaces you touch.

• Drink plenty of fluids. Get lots of sleep.

• If you live with others protect them by staying in a separate room, use a separate bathroom if possible. Have someone prepare your food to minimize kitchen contact. Put dirty dishes in a bucket and sanitize with diluted bleach water.

• Stay at home. This may be the kindest thing to do, especially if you have high risk people in your own family. These are not normal times.

• Check with individual first to see if they really need it. They may still be fine with their own supply.

• Set individual items on the porch that can be disinfected before being carried inside. Skip the grocery sack.

• Put non-perishable items in the car trunk and leave them there for days. Though it’s not been studied to know how long, probably 2 – 7 days depending on temperature. Heat kills.

• Drop off a casserole on the porch. The receiver wears oven mitts or other gloves to carry through the propped open door and into the oven (door already open), drops the oven mits into the washer, then washes their hands well.

• What other ideas do you have?

Get outside

• Go for a drive or a walk to get fresh air

• Do not have face to face contact with anyone from outside, instead have lots of phone contact

Groceries

• If someone is dropping off groceries have them be non-perishable.

• Have them call you before they come so that you can put the lid up on the car trunk

• They can put the groceries in the trunk and close the lid.

• Leave them in the trunk for 3-5 days so that if it got contaminated, the virus will not survive.

• If a high-risk person has someone living in their house that is still needing to go to work, try to make arrangements for them to live with elsewhere.

• Contact your health provider or the IU Health screening phone line if you start feeling sick

Yesterday, it was announced that the first confirmed case of Coronavirus originated in Orange County. Cases have also confirmed in Dubois (1), Lawrence (1), and Washington (2) counties.

Southern Indiana Community Health Care’s highest priority is the safety of the community and to be a resource for you to access healthcare. It is more important now than ever to minimize exposure to the virus.

Office Visits

When you visit a SICHC office in Paoli, West Baden, English, or Marengo:

• Before you leave home or when you arrive, call the office number to register without going in the building.

• We will provide visits outside under a tent, or by your car. You can also request a virtual visit (phone call or by computer). You will need to sign in or register at www.followmyhealth.com for the computer visit or download the follow my health app on iTunes or Google Play.

• If you are sick and have a mask, please wear it to your appt.

• Nursing visits only from 9am – 11:30am (i.e. labs, allergy shots)

Care for Obstetric Patients

Obstetric patients will be seen starting at a separate location starting Friday. Patients will be called with location information. Deliveries are still being provided at IU Health Paoli Hospital and appropriate precautions are being taken to keep moms and babies safe:

• A mom can only bring ONE labor support person with them to the delivery room (this includes C-sections).

• There will be no visitors allowed after the birth other than the support person who was there for delivery.

• Ultrasounds at the hospital are continuing, but the father of the baby will not be allowed in the Ultrasound room. They are allowing a virtual option so fathers can be involved.

Care at IU Health Paoli Hospital

• Appropriate isolation and precautions for suspected Coronavirus patients are in place.

• They are still doing diagnostic tests (ultrasounds, CT scans, X-rays, labs), but they are not allowing visitors during the tests.

• There are no visitors allowed to see admitted patients

If you are concerned about your symptoms, call an SICHC office for an initial phone or video screening or contact IU Health for a virtual screening

What you can expect after a positive initial screening:

Prior to being tested for Coronavirus, you will be swabbed/tested in your car for some or all of these:

1) A flu nasal swab

2) A respiratory pathogen nasal swab

3. A strep swab (possibly)

If these test are normal your provider will decide with you if you should be tested for Coronavirus

Coronavirus tests are currently taking 2-5 days (but may take up to 7 days) to come back; if tested you should be in complete quarantine until results come back

Please do not go to the ER expecting to be tested, especially if you have no symptoms; they have the same screening process we have.

What is a Video Visit?

Video Visits are appropriate for things like:

• Medication refills (including controlled substances)

• Follow-up on stable problems like diabetes or blood pressure medications

• Anything that does not require a physical exam

Steps to schedule a Video Visit

1. Sign in or Set up an account at Follow My Health

2. Download the mobile app in the App Store or Google Play

3. Click Schedule an Appointment or Mobile Menu options

4. Select Video Visit

5. Allow FollowMyHealth access to your camera and microphone.

6. Then you will be directed to a screen displaying wait time and what hours video visits are available. Tap on the healthcare organization/practice to continue.

7. State the reason(s) for your visit. If you would like, you can add any additional info for the provider and upload an image if you need to.

8. Check your phone number and the pharmacy is correct on the next page. If not, you will have an opportunity to correct it. Once everything is correct, tap on “Go to Waiting Room”.

9. At this point, you have scheduled your visit and are awaiting your provider. You can return to your account by clicking on the arrow beside “Video Visit”. If you wish to come back to the waiting room, go to Home and tap on the yellow highlighted message, “Video Visit – Waiting, under “Action Center”.

10. Once your scheduled time arrives, you will then be placed into a video conference with your provider.