By JOHN WHITESIDE
CEO
Los Alamos Medical Center

Los Alamos Medical Center is committed to providing the highest quality care and ensuring the safety of our patients, employees, providers, volunteers and visitors.

We are continuing to work closely with New Mexico Department of Health and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure our hospital is prepared with the appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond should anyone in our community contract or be exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID–19).

Additionally, we are reviewing our facility’s robust emergency operations plan and proactively completing a number of preparation checklists out of an abundance of caution.

While we have not evaluated or treated any patients with this virus at our hospital to date, and there have been no confirmed cases in New Mexico, Los Alamos Medical Center has taken the following measures to prepare, in accordance with CDC guidelines:

• Patients in the Emergency Department and inpatient units are screened based on their recent travel history.
• Face masks are available for symptomatic patients and visitors.
• Hand hygiene products are easily accessible throughout the facility.

Importantly, all of the above are standard operating protocols that are in place year-round to help ensure the health and well-being of everyone who enters our hospital.

We want to assure our community that our providers and clinical teams are well-trained and prepared to manage outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases, including the coronavirus.

For more information, contact the New Mexico Department of Health at cv.nmhealth.org or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov. These are the most reliable sources of updated information on this rapidly evolving situation.