Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Safety Facts

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has been, and is continuing to take, a number of steps to make sure that our hospitals and Emergency Services departments are implementing the top safety measures possible for patients diagnosed with COVID-19 or facing another medical emergency. As we look ahead toward a gradual reopening of other procedures, these safety measures are the cornerstone in our ability to do so.

Emergency Care

Our message is simple: if you are facing an emergency, do not delay care. Call 911 or proceed immediately to the nearest emergency room.

Here are examples of symptoms or emergencies where patients should always seek emergency treatment:

• High fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper body pain or discomfort, shortness of breath (especially if coupled with jaw pain, fatigue, nausea, sweating and sudden dizziness)
• Stroke: Face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty
• Deep cuts, lacerations, or skin infections 
• Broken bones or traumatic injuries
• Severe abdominal or stomach pain 
• Worsening symptoms related to chronic/ongoing conditions

Hospital Safety

We will continue to take significant steps to make sure it is safe to be treated at our care facilities. Here are some of the key safety measures we are taking across our hospital system to ensure all patients and staff remain safe:

• All public, inpatient, outpatient and surgical service areas have implemented physical distancing standards.
• Universal masking is in effect for everyone in the hospital, including all patients, providers and staff.
• Patients with COVID-like respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) are treated in one area of our Emergency Services departments, while patients with non-COVID complaints (lacerations, abdominal pain, stroke or heart attack symptoms) are cared for in a separate area of the Emergency Services department.
• Suspected COVID patients are placed in a negative airflow room to separate airflow in the hospital.
• Rooms and all equipment are always carefully and thoroughly cleaned in the hospital. We have instituted additional, rigorous cleaning protocols, including using special UV light technology to disinfect COVID rooms.
• We are actively screening and restricting visitors at all of our hospital locations and are screening all staff before they enter our facilities. Only one visitor is allowed per patient, per day, during visiting hours for non-COVID patients.
• Patients will be tested for COVID-19 before any scheduled procedure.

Virtual care

Our clinics are open to take care of your health care needs whether in person or virtually. We continue to offer virtual visits as a convenient option for our patients in addition to in-person visits. Call your provider to determine which option is right for your next visit. You can also use Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s provider search tool to see which providers are offering virtual visits.

If you have mild respiratory symptoms suggesting Coronavirus (COVID-19) such as cough, low-grade fever or mild respiratory problems, you can schedule a Franciscan Virtual Urgent Care visit as well.