Letter From Our CEO

Dear Patients and Visitors,

On behalf of Lucas County Health Center, I would like to reassure you that we are prepared. We have been working closely with Lucas County Public Health to track growing concerns of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19.)

Our team has implemented many steps to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors, staff and community. To date, LCHC has enacted firm visitor restrictions in the facility, cancelled or postponed group activities, events and meetings (including non-essential internal meetings), and has begun screening everyone who enters the facility, including patients, visitors, vendors, and staff.  You should also be comforted knowing that our housekeeping and infection control team has taken extra cleaning precautions, especially in high traffic areas.

We will continue to evaluate the situation and implement additional changes as needed. Our team is confident that we are well organized and ready to meet the needs of our patients and our community, whether it is with coronavirus, influenza, or other illnesses.

LCHC is open and operating as normal with all necessary healthcare services available. As of March 20, there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lucas County and we are still advising patients keep their appointments and seek medical attention as needed, especially for influenza. Patients and visitors should be prepared to be screened upon entry to the facility so we recommend that you arrive a few minutes early.

I would also urge you to continue taking precautions and helpful actions when you can.

Precautions:

We encourage our community members to continue implementing the following precautions to help prevent the spread of illness, including:

  • Clean your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap is not available, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are ill and distance yourself from other people in the community. This is especially important for people who are at a higher risk of getting sick, including older adults and people with serious underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease.
  • Stay home if you’re sick, except to seek medical care.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes (preferably with your sleeve or a tissue.)
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.

Ways to Help:

One activity you can do is to donate blood. There is still a very real need to give blood and hospitals across the state depend on this critical resource to meet the needs of our patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blood drives are not considered mass gatherings and do not put people at a higher risk for transmitting or contracting COVID-19.

You can also help our community by providing additional support to family, friends, and neighbors that are in self-isolation at home. Connect with them via telephone, email, text messaging, social media, or video calls. Communicating helps improve your loved ones mood and provides a distraction from boredom. You can also help by offering to deliver groceries or drop off a favorite magazine or book.

Finally, we understand the community has a lot of questions and concerns regarding COVID-19. Another thing you can do to help is to make sure you are getting and sharing up-to-date and factual information about COVID-19. Many news outlets and social media sites are sharing incorrect information and rumors. Below are trusted resources of information on COVID-19:

The health and safety of our patients, visitors, staff, and community continues to be our top priority.  Please do your part in keeping our communities healthy.  We will get through this together.

Stay Well,

Brian Sims, CEO
Lucas County Health Center