Coronavirus In Pittsburgh: St. Clair Hospital Screens Employees When They Come To Work For Added Protection
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- St. Clair Hospital is now screening all of its employees when they come to work.
Everyone enters through a designated employee entrance.
They get a no-touch, infrared temperature taken. They then get a sticker that indicates they've been screen.
They also get a mask and a bag to keep it in for reuse.
"This adds another layer of protection for our staff and our patients," says David Kish, RN, the chief of staff to the chief medical officer at St. Clair Hospital.
One of the reasons the hospital decided to hand out masks is because people may have no fever or symptoms early on.
"We are well aware of the national shortage of masks. We continue to monitor our supply chain," Kish says.
The screening process takes less than a minute.
"We adjust to make sure our flow is smooth, that we don't have our staff queued up, and that we maximize our social distancing," says Kish.
What do the employees say?
"It didn't take long at all, 30 seconds."
"I feel safe."
"Clean, kept our distance."
"It keeps everyone safe in the hospital."
"So far no employees have had a fever," says Kish.
Employees with a high temperature must leave the building and call a triage line.
They might have to stay at home or get tested.
"I hope as things evolve, we learn from this. I hope our community understands the need to do social distancing," Kish says.
The hope is the program keeps everyone safe — patients and the workforce.