2020 Report to our Communities

safe
THE RIGHT PLACE ...
WHAT
COUNTS
Offering safety at the “right place”
Orange City Area Health System offers full-spectrum care
for people of all ages and health needs in the region. Our
Walk-In Clinic was opened to address after-hour medical
needs for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
But being creative with “place” (and safety) this year
required more than opening this clinic off-campus at the
Holland Plaza – and then having to temporarily close
services there during the initial months of the COVID-19
outbreak.
When the pandemic hit this past spring, we quickly
converted a newly-renovated Medical Building on the
west end of our hospital campus (designed for specialty/
outreach services) into a “Well Clinic” to safely care for
people in need of essential services including prenatal/
obstetrics, immunizations, diabetes management,
behavioral health, and more. Our Hospers Medical Clinic
also served as a well clinic during that time. Acute
patients were safely cared for in our Orange City and
Mill Creek Family Medicine Clinics.
The completion of the expanded Medical Building came at an unexpected and opportune time: it served as
a “well clinic” during the height of the pandemic, providing a new, clean, and safe environment for well
patients during that challenging period of caring for people with varying health needs and concerns.
HERE?
CAN i
HAVE IT
$
700,000
APPROXIMATE AMOUNT
SPENT ADAPTING
SPACES, SUPPLIES,
AND STAFF TO SAFELY
CARE FOR PATIENTS
since March 15
4,508
NUMBER OF PATIENTS
TESTED FOR COVID-19
as of mid October
1,167
NUMBER OF TIMES
THE SKYTRON ROBOT
HAS BEEN USED TO
DISINFECT A ROOM
as of mid October
Going above and beyond for safety
Throughout this year, Orange City Area Health System
implemented a number of strategies and protocols to
help ensure the safety and comfort of our patients,
residents, families, and staff, and to respond rapidly and
appropriately to the ever-changing pandemic landscape
in Northwest Iowa. Initiatives include:
• Purchased and installed two Skytron disinfecting
“robots” that are used in various settings
• Purchased “analyzers” to process COVID-19 tests
on site more rapidly as needed
• Opened a Test Iowa site in our Occupational Health
clinic for walk-in active COVID-19 virus tests
• Implemented on-site testing for COVID-19 antibodies
• Implemented daily symptom/health condition screening for all health system staff
• Implemented regular testing of senior care staff
• Closed hospital and senior care campuses to visitors as deemed necessary; closed cafeteria to the public
• CEO provided regular community video briefings on social media
• Converted newly-renovated Medical Building to Well Clinic and utilized Family Medicine Clinic for acute patients