POTSDAM -- St. Lawrence Health System has taken many efforts to ensure the emergency department can continue to operate safely amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

“We have designated sections in each of our Emergency Departments to keep you safe, keep your family safe, and keep our staff safe. Using personal protective equipment and special negative pressure rooms, we are able to keep our patient populations separate from one another, so if you don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 and need to seek care, we can keep you safe as well,” Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s Emergency Department Chair Dr. Julie Vieth said.

“Please, if you need to seek care, don’t sit at home waiting. When you arrive in the Emergency Department you will be screened, asked questions about travel, being in contact with someone with COVID-19, or if you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath,” she said.

Vieth says patients should not be afraid when asked those questions, and should be honest with their answers. The questions are to ensure their safety, the safety of their families, other patients, and staff, as it is vitally important to not cross-contaminate patient populations.

“Your emergency care will continue to be our priority. Care may take place in one of our special respiratory isolation rooms where we will evaluate you, and complete our testing. From there, we will determine if your condition is stable for you to be discharged home, or if you need to be admitted to the hospital,” she said.

While the Emergency Departments at Canton-Potsdam, Gouverneur, and Massena hospitals are prepared to care for individuals who need immediate attention, Canton-Potsdam Hospital has been designated as the System’s hub to care for patients who need ongoing hospitalization with symptoms of or confirmed COVID-19.

“Right now there is a real fear about being admitted to the hospital due to the potential infection risk of COVID-19. However, we have separated our units in the hospital into areas for COVID-19, suspect patients, and patients who may not have any symptoms of COVID-19 but need to come into the hospital for another reason,” she said.

“We want you to know we view your safety as our utmost priority. If you are taken to a hospital room, you may be taken down a pathway that is unfamiliar, and again we have mapped all of this out for you – to keep you safe, and to keep our staff safe,” she said.

While in the hospital, patients may see a number of staff members wearing masks, gowns, or other types of personal protective equipment.

“We are doing that because we know what the risk is of COVID-19, and as healthcare workers, we have taken an oath to protect you, and to take care of you,” Dr. Vieth said.

“At this time, we hope you are washing your hands, self-isolating, and taking this time to be with family,” she noted.

View Dr. Vieth’s short video about this topic at https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/you-heard-it-hear.

Vieth said anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should call (315) 261-6240.

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