I am so grateful for your outstanding teamwork and appreciate each of you for your contributions to managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Your efforts to ensure our patients, visitors and staff are safe have been well-coordinated and reflect our team-based approach to cancer care.
The planning and implementation of care processes with the evolving nature of this pandemic are crucial to our community. We have been working closely with city, county and state health authorities as well as partnering with other health systems in our region to monitor the situation and develop new strategies to reduce its spread.
As major developments in our city continue to evolve, it’s crucial that we remain proactive and go above and beyond to keep our patients, staff and community safe and mitigate any spread of the virus.
To reduce the transmission of COVID-19 to our community, we have implemented several processes to protect our immuno-compromised patients and ensure the health and safety of our workforce.
Some of those measures are:
· Conducting patient screening using the CDC guidelines the day before their appointment
· Setting up quarantined rooms for those with symptoms
· Conducting screenings at the time of visit for patients and visitors
· Limiting the number of visitors to one adult (18 and over) per patient
· Utilizing the old welcome center for patient overflow
· Cleaning all surfaces every hour
While I understand this is a significant change for how we usually do business, I ask that you continue to show care and compassion for our patients and one another as the situation can change rapidly. It’s essential to clearly communicate the facts about COVID-19 and the precautions we have implemented to help to alleviate any fear, confusion and frustration our patients may experience.
I encourage you to regularly check our internal (www.uthscsa.edu/coronavirus) and external (www.mayscancercenter.org/coronavirus) COVID-19 websites for the latest updates. You can also visit www.cdc.gov for the latest information on how to prevent the spread of the virus and protect yourself and your loved ones.
Please take a moment to make sure your phone number is up to date in the HSC Alert System. The HSC Alert System is the emergency notification system used at UT Health San Antonio that will send alerts through email and text messages. Also, make sure your contact information is updated in HCM and that your manager has your cell phone number.
Thank you for your continued commitment to keep our patients and one another safe during this time. Your resiliency and rigor are inspiring to us all, and your efforts are genuinely appreciated. We’ll be sending updates as they occur, so please check your inbox often.
All my best,
Ruben Mesa, MD, FACP
Director, Mays Cancer Center