MelroseWakefield Hospital Has A Coronavirus Plan, If Need Be

MELROSE, MA — MelroseWakefield Hospital is confident it will be able to handle problems presented by the new coronavirus threat, though it hopes things don't get that far.

Dr. Steven Sbardella, the hospital's chief medical officer, told Patch Wednesday afternoon there have been no COVID-19 cases at the hospital. But that doesn't mean the hospital is ill-prepared to handle what the World Health Organization has deemed a pandemic.

"We're looking at this as a real issue and we have a baseline surge capacity process," Sbardella said.

What that means is if the influx of patients spikes, the hospital has plans in place to handle it, including putting a halt to elective procedures to free up space.

The hospital was also having internal discussions on visitation processes and policies. Digital communication to outside friends and family is being looked at, such as Skype.

Sbardella said a big chunk of the planning effort is going toward educating health care staff on what the current information is — knowing it could change tomorrow. They are working in concert with local and state health officials, including Melrose Health Director Ruth Clay.

"We want our message to be consistent," Sbardella said.

Part of the message right now is not to rush the emergency room if you think you are sick. Sbardella said people should contact their doctor first, but there are plans for people who may bring what is a very contagious disease directly to the hospital. People may be screened at the front desk, have their temperature taken and brought into a single-patient room pending results.

Of course, washing your hands remains a key part of the message, as rudimentary as it sounds.

"We are committed, our mission is to take care of patients who are sick," Sbardella said. "We feel we will be able to deliver the best possible care as it progresses, if it improves or gets worse. We are nimble."

As of Tuesday, there were no positive tests of COVID-19 in Melrose. But as America increasingly grinds to a halt as cases grow, it could just be a matter of time.

"We do take this very seriously," Sbardella said. "We hope none of our planning ever comes to fruition."