What to expect when getting care at Allina Health

For safety and physical distancing, there are fewer in-person appointments available. Your appointment may need to be scheduled further out than normal so we are able to provide you with the safest care possible.

To make an appointment, you can:

• schedule online for most care options
• call 1-888-4ALLINA (1-888-425-54621-888-425-5462). Phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your scheduling needs.

Virtual care visits are still available and offer a safe and convenient way to get care, right from your home.

Important: If you have symptoms of COVID-19, please schedule a virtual care visit with your health care provider. If your care requires in-person care, your clinic will update your appointment.

Visitor guidelines have changed because of COVID-19. To protect the health and safety of you and your health care team, you may have only one visitor come with you to the clinic. There are limited exceptions to this guideline. Please review the visitor guidelines and talk with your health care team if you have any questions or concerns.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING] Hello. I'm Melissa Showers, clinic manager with Allina Health. We've been receiving a lot of questions about our facilities. To help folks feel more comfortable, I'm excited to share some details about our safe care commitment and the changes we've made to increase your safety and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Before we go inside, let's put on our masks.

Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by a safe care greeter. They'll ask you some questions and be sure you don't have any COVID-19 symptoms. Any patient with COVID-19 symptoms will be isolated immediately and cared for in a separate area.

Because patient safety and well-being are Allina Health's top priorities, all employees will be wearing masks. For your safety and the safety of our staff and other patients, we ask that you wear a mask for your entire visit. We will provide you with a mask if you do not have one.

We have hand sanitizer at all of our entrances. And our staff are using the proper PPE. Clinic staff will be wearing masks or respirators, eye protection, such as face shields or glasses, and other personal protective equipment. The specific equipment they wear is dependent on the role and the location.

Allina's already high standards of cleanliness have been enhanced for your safety. High-touch surfaces in public areas are deep cleaned and disinfected regularly.

You can see that many changes have been made to our welcome area to practice physical distancing. Floor markers will remind you to stay at least six feet apart while waiting for check-in. Plexiglas shields or extended spacing have been added between you and the check-in staff. Seating has been rearranged so you will not be in close contact with other patients. You may also have the option to wait in your car.

We have removed magazines, books, and toys from our welcome area and exam rooms to keep you safe. We made changes to our scheduling to minimize patient wait time and decrease patient delays and overlap.

Let me take you back to our exam room area. Our already high standards of clean have been enhanced for your safety. Rooms and instruments are thoroughly cleaned between patients, following our cleaning procedures and protocols.

As usual, when we enter a room, everyone does proper hand hygiene. Your care team will be wearing masks and other protective equipment, such as face shields, gowns, and gloves. They may communicate with you using your personal electronic device before entering the room.

If you need an interpreter, this service will be offered electronically instead of in-person. Please talk with your nurse or doctor if you have questions or concerns.

Your health and safety are the top priorities of your health care team today and every day. Whether you choose to see us in person or virtually, we are here to care for you.

Visitor guidelines have changed because of COVID-19. As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19, the visitor guidelines will be updated as needed to help keep patients, staff, and you safe.

Please review the hospital and clinic visitor guidelines. Check back often for the most current guidelines. There are limited exceptions to these guidelines. Please talk with your health care team if you have any questions or concerns.

Your health care provider may recommend that you have a COVID-19 test before your surgery or hospital stay. If a test is needed, your health care team will help you schedule this test when you schedule your surgery or procedure.

Once your surgery or procedure has been scheduled, try to limit how much you leave your home or interact with large groups of people. This will help reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

If you test positive for COVID-19 before your surgery or hospital stay, please tell your health care team as soon as possible. They will talk with you about next steps such as adding
extra precautions during your hospital stay or rescheduling your surgery or procedure.

Along with the items your health care team asked you to bring, please bring the following to the hospital:

• a smartphone, tablet, laptop or other personal electronic device that will allow you to communicate with your loved ones (Please label the device with your name and contact information.)
• a charger for your device (Please label the charger with your name and contact information.)
• phone numbers and email addresses of loved ones
• a current list of your medicines
• clean clothing you will wear home
• a few favorite activities to provide comfort and distraction during your stay (reading or writing materials, games).

You should also bring a mask with you to the hospital. Masks are required at all times for staff, patients and visitors.

Important: To help maintain privacy, personal electronic devices are not allowed on mental health units.

• You will be greeted when you arrive and asked a few questions to help determine your risk of having COVID-19.
• All staff will be wearing masks. They may also be wearing face shields or other personal protective equipment.
• Hand sanitizer is located at all building entrances to encourage everyone to have good hand hygiene.
• You and anyone accompanying you will need to wear a mask when in the hallways or when a hospital staff member enters you room (even if you don’t have symptoms).
• Many changes have been made in the lobbies and seating areas to practice physical distancing:
  • We have added Plexiglas shields or extended spacing between you and check-in staff.
  • Waiting rooms have been rearranged so you will not be in close contact with other people. You may also have the option to wait in your car.
• Our already high standards of cleanliness have been enhanced for your safety. High-touch surface areas and public spaces throughout the hospital are deep cleaned and disinfected.
• If you are at risk for having COVID-19, the next steps of your care will be decided by the department where you will be receiving care.

Your health care team will take special steps to help reduce exposing you and them to the virus.

• Members of your health care team will announce themselves when they are coming into your room. This will allow you and any visitors time to put on your masks.
• If you need anything, you may still press the call button in your room to communicate with your nurse or hospital staff. It may take longer than usual for your nurse to enter your room. They will need to wash their hands and put on personal protective equipment.
• Your health care team may group together care visits that might have normally been done on separate visits. For example, your nurse may check your vital signs, give you medicine, change a dressing and go over education during one visit.
  • This will reduce extra visits to your room and limit exposure for everyone.
  • This will not be done if it will have a negative impact on your care.

Important: If you need an interpreter during your hospital stay, this service will be offered electronically instead of in person.

It is important to keep your family updated about your care because of the current hospital and clinic visitor guidelines.

Please give your nurse the name and phone number for one person who can serve as your family’s spokesperson, along with what time of day they prefer to be contacted. The hospital staff will do their best to accommodate that preference.

Please ask family members to limit their calls to the hospital. Hospital staff are often in personal protective equipment and are not always able to answer the phone.

• You may hear air filter machines running near your room. These can make it nosier during your stay. Earplugs are available if needed.
• Our already high standards of cleanliness have been enhanced for your safety. High-touch areas and public spaces throughout the hospital are deep cleaned and disinfected.
• If there is an increase in people needing to be in the hospital, some rooms may be made into double rooms to add beds.
  • This will allow hospital staff to care for more people.
  • The beds will not be in close contact.
  • If you test positive for COVID-19, you may share a room with another person who has also tested positive for COVID-19.
• If you need to change rooms, the phone number used by your family to call you will also change.

• At the end of your hospital stay, you will receive discharge instructions. Be sure you review and understand the information on your discharge instruction sheet. Please ask your nurse or doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
• Your health care team will review your discharge instruction sheet with your loved one in the hospital lobby or by phone.
• Tell the person who is driving you home to park at the front entrance of the hospital. Ask them to avoid the Emergency Department entrance.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 (coronavirus) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19? What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms?

Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe and include:

• fever or chills
• cough
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• fatigue (tiredness)
• muscle or body aches
• headache
• new loss of smell or taste
• sore throat
• congestion or runny nose
• nausea or vomiting
• diarrhea

These symptoms are also found in many other common infections.

If you think you have symptoms of COVID-19, please call your pregnancy care provider or primary care provider. He or she will review your symptoms over the phone and then recommend if you should stay home, go to a testing site or clinic for evaluation, or go to the Emergency Department.

If you have severe shortness of breath, have someone drive you to the nearest Emergency Department.

If you are pregnant, please follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These recommendations change often, so be sure to check back for updated information.

Are pregnant women at risk of getting COVID-19?

Yes. Pregnant women are more susceptible to other viral respiratory infections, like the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that some pregnant women may experience more severe COVID-19 symptoms than the general population.

How can I help protect myself from COVID-19 if I am pregnant?

As with influenza (the flu) or any other virus, the best ways to help protect yourself from COVID-19 are to:

• Wear a mask when you go out in public.
• Try to stand 6 feet away from others, do not shake hands and avoid crowds.
• Do not attend large gatherings of people, inside or outside.
• Cover your sneezes or coughs, and throw your tissues in the trash as soon as possible.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Wash your hands often with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
• Clean surfaces in your home with usual household cleaners and disinfectants

Many pregnant women are also choosing to stay home as much as possible after COVID-19 testing is done between 38 and 39 weeks of pregnancy.

Will my baby be OK if I get COVID-19?

Because this is a new virus, there is not a lot of research on how COVID-19 might affect an unborn baby. At this time, it is rare for a pregnant woman with COVID-19 to pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy or birth. Researchers have not found the virus in breastmilk.

With the information available, a baby is more likely to get COVID-19 after delivery when coming in contact with respiratory droplets or an infected person.

According to the CDC, high fevers during the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects. Catching other viral respiratory infections, like the flu, during pregnancy is linked to preterm labor and low birth weight.

What type of prenatal care will I have during this outbreak?

Prenatal care includes many important routine visits. There are many parts of prenatal care that cannot happen outside of the clinic.

If you are healthy and have a low-risk pregnancy, you will have the following prenatal visits:

• 12 weeks (Your first prenatal visit is usually when you are 12 weeks pregnant. You will have an ultrasound to estimate your due date.)
• 16 weeks
• 20 weeks
• 24 weeks
• 28 weeks
• 32 weeks
• 34 weeks
• 36 weeks
• 38 weeks and then weekly until you deliver your baby.

If you need to be seen more often, your pregnancy care provider will talk about this with you. You may bring one person with you to your prenatal visits.

There are other visit options like telehealth, phone and online visits.

If you need prenatal testing, your pregnancy care provider will schedule this for you.

What if I am having a scheduled Cesarean delivery or another scheduled surgery?

If you are having a scheduled Cesarean delivery, labor induction, fetal surgery, a cerclage or another surgery, you will need to have a COVID-19 test before you come to the hospital. Your health care team will help you schedule this test. After your test, you will need to self-quarantine until you have your surgery or procedure. This will help reduce your risk of getting COVID-19.

Learn more about what to expect for your surgery or hospital stay.

Can I bring a support person with me to the hospital?

Yes. Learn more about the birth center support person guidelines.

How long can I labor at home before coming to the hospital?

During your last month of pregnancy, your health care provider will give you instructions on when to come to the hospital.

What are the risks of a home birth?

Home births can have increased risks such as the delayed response to urgent needs such as medical or surgical emergencies, or the resuscitation of your baby. Hospital births provide the reassurance that emergency care is available right away if you or your baby need additional care.

What will happen when I come to the hospital for my baby’s birth?

When you arrive at the hospital, you and your support person will be asked a few questions to help determine your risk of having COVID-19. You will also be asked to wear a mask when a hospital staff member enters your room or when you or your support person are outside of your room.

When you are admitted to the hospital, your support person may go with you to the labor and delivery unit. If your COVID-19 test is negative, you may have two support people with you during your labor and birth. If you have not yet had a COVID-19 test, you will be tested.

You will be cared for in a private room. Your health care team will wear protective equipment.

If your support person shows symptoms of COVID-19, he or she will need to leave the hospital. You can have a new support person come to the hospital if he or she has no symptoms.

You and your support person are encouraged to stay in your room as much as possible. Your support person may leave the room to get food or bring in the car seat and other baby items.

What if I have COVID-19 symptoms at the time my baby is born?

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, your baby may be at risk of getting the virus after birth. Taking the right precautions may help prevent your baby from getting infected.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says it is OK for a mother and baby to room together. It is important that you wear a mask and wash your hands whenever you are caring for your baby. Your baby’s crib may be placed 6 feet from your bed.

Will I catch COVID-19 at the hospital?

Your health care team will take every precaution to protect you and your baby from getting COVID-19 while you both are at the hospital. For this reason, you will see them wearing masks while they care for you and your baby. They will also wear gowns and gloves for more invasive procedures, such as delivery. This helps to protect you, your family and staff members from COVID-19. 

Can I breastfeed my baby if I have COVID-19?

Yes. If you test positive for COVID-19, you may still breastfeed your baby.

It is recommend that you wear a mask and wash your hands before feeding your baby. Keep your breasts clean and covered by your gown. If your breasts are exposed to respiratory droplets, take a shower or wash them with warm, soapy water.

If you have severe COVID-19 symptoms or are unable to breastfeed your baby, you may pump or express your breastmilk.

When pumping or expressing breastmilk:

• Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
• Put on a mask.
• After you have pumped or expressed your breastmilk, pour it into the container provided.
• Wipe the surface where the container will be placed with an antibacterial wipe.
• Put a paper towel down on that surface. Place the container on the paper towel.
• Label the breastmilk as directed by your nurse. Place the container in the plastic bag provided.
• You may store the breastmilk in your refrigerator in your room.

What do I need to know about breastfeeding at home?

If you have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19, it is important to take special steps to reduce exposing your baby to the virus. This includes washing your hands and wearing a mask until these three things have happened:

• you have gone 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines

and

• other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath are better)

and

• at least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared

If pumping or expressing breastmilk, wash your hands before touching any pump or bottle parts. Follow the manual instructions to clean the pump properly after each use. If possible, consider having someone who is healthy care for and feed the breastmilk to your baby.

If anyone has COVID-19, they should remain separated (home isolation precautions) from other family members in the house. This includes your baby, except for breastfeeding. Ideally, if there is a healthy adult in your house, he or she should care for your baby.

What will happen when it’s time to leave the hospital?

If you have COVID-19, you will be able to leave the hospital when you and your health care provider decide it is right for you.

If you are not ready to leave the hospital, but your baby is, he or she may be able to go home with a healthy caregiver. This caregiver will be given instructions on how to care for your baby.

When you are ready to leave the hospital, continue home isolation as directed by your health care provider.

Talk with your health care team about when you and your baby should have follow-up visits.