The global pandemic has been ongoing,
but life has continued.
We've been delivering patients.
We've been delivering babies throughout the entire time.
And we've been doing it safely and effectively,
creating access to care, access to appointments,
and an opportunity to continue the dialogue
to move health forward.
When a pregnant woman comes to Rush,
I think one of the first things she can expect
is that we will be evaluating
and screening for COVID-like symptoms.
Sometimes that can happen initially
even before they reach the building from a phone call
the day before their appointment,
by one of our support staff to ask them,
have you had headaches?
Have you had any fevers, chills?
Any of the COVID-like symptoms?
In addition, when they come into the building,
usually they'll have their temperature taken
and they'll again be asked those similar type questions.
This is done just so that we can identify early on
any patients that may have any symptoms
that we can then perhaps direct to getting the COVID test
versus bringing them into the clinic
and exposing our staff or other patients
In order to keep our staff safe
and our patients even safer,
we've limited the number of visitors to our clinic.
So if you're routinely getting an ultrasound
that would require you to be in a closed room
with an ultrasonographer for an extended length of time,
we're not allowing visitors in that situation.
But we've learned to become creative.
We have FaceTime, we have Zoom.
We have all sorts of options
that allow people to become a part of the experience
without actually being there.
And I think this has become a lesson for all of us.
How do we stay connected in a global pandemic
through the most important events of each other's lives?
It also opens the door for partners
who perhaps traditionally couldn't be there
to kind of take five minutes from their job and call in
and be able to be part of the visit.
We've also instituted a lot of workflows
to not only be able to identify, isolate,
and treat our COVID-positive patients
and at the same time,
be able to protect the healthy patients.
So when we talk about safety on labor and delivery
and when our patients are coming to deliver,
we have to talk about the safety of the whole family.
Currently our policy is that a pregnant woman
entering in through triage who might be coming in labor,
if they're deemed that they're going to stay in,
so initially they'll be coming in on their own.
We don't allow any visitors within triage,
again, for that same limiting of exposure.
But once they're in triage and they're evaluated,
if you're deemed that you are indeed in labor
and you're going to be admitted,
then we do a point-of-care testing.
Point-of-care will let us know within five to 10 minutes,
whether or not you are positive.
And if you're not positive,
then you will be allowed a support person -
your partner, your mother, father,
whoever that might be for you.
In addition, you are allowed to have a doula.
But if you do test positive,
then you would not be allowed
a partner to be there with you.
In those cases, we do have monitors
that partners can kind of call in and be there virtually.
We have an amazing nursing staff and providers
that are there to kind of help support patients.
Every time I hear that, "Oh, you'll be delivering alone,"
I kind of cringe at that because that's never the case.
You will be delivering with a team
of experienced, supportive staff that will be with you
throughout the entire process.
If you're having a scheduled cesarean section surgery,
you will be tested just like in any other surgery
for your COVID status.
When your COVID testing takes place,
it doesn't mean we change our care.
It just means we change our approach
with the goal of having you have the best
and healthiest experience for you and your child.
We continue our safety measures
from just the very beginning in our appointments,
to our mission, to the delivery unit,
to our postpartum experience.
And each situation, what is of the utmost priority
is our patient's safety -
the safety of the patient, the visitor, and the staff.
We'll have the nursing staff consultations
for a lactation consultant,
the doctors or nurses that'll be rounding on you
and seeing you as a patient.
All of our nurses are trained in breastfeeding.
We do skin-to-skin right away at the time of delivery.
So once a baby is delivered,
we put the baby right on mom's chest to promote bonding.
And that has also improved our outcomes
in terms of breastfeeding.
Rush has a baby-friendly designation.
That means under all circumstances,
we prioritize allowing the mother and the family
to be with their infant.
This has persisted throughout COVID.
We have been mindful of testing.
We have had all that time
to really establish those workflows,
to identify, isolate, and treat our COVID patients.
And in that same manner,
being able to keep our other patients safe.
Sometimes it's a little scary for patients,
sometimes the visitor restrictions are a bit concerning,
but I think it's all with the intention
of keeping everybody safe,
whether that's our staff, our patients,
and we've been doing a great job of that.
We're here, we're available.
And what we've learned is that your self-care
is just as important as everybody else's care
during this time.
Rush is here for you
and Rush is a safe place to get that care.