June 1, 2021

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The CDC, Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) and Governor of Alabama COVID-19 mitigation guidelines have changed frequently over the past several months. The Alabama State Health Officer issued the first of several amended state-wide order on March 13, 2020. The most recent update was on May 3, 2021. CHHC is making changes to the current COVID-19 protocol for the clinic to adjust guidelines to reflect the most recent series of recommendations.

 

To make sure that the patients, volunteers, and staff of the Community of Hope Health Clinic (CHHC) continue to remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CHHC Board of Directors have passed the following protocol to establish a safe environment during clinic hours.

 

All patients, volunteers, and staff must be screened before or while they enter the building for their temperature and COVID questionnaire. A dedicated staff member or volunteer at CHHC shall be appointed to perform these duties.

 

All patients, volunteers, and staff must wear masks during the clinic hours until June 30, 2021. This includes ALL general volunteers, interpreters, nurses, and providers.  Masks worn to the clinic whether homemade, surgical, N95, or other similar masks are approved to wear. If ANY of the persons does not have a mask, CHHC will provide a surgical mask.

 

On July 1, 2021, the CHHC facilities will return to a “mask optional” status, unless additional guidelines are provided by the CDC, ADPH or the Governor of Alabama that restrict our options.

 

Regarding Patients:

• No visitors are allowed with patients

• Caregivers are allowed for the elderly or disabled

• Patients must remain seated in the designated waiting room after being checked in

• Chairs are not to be moved by patients in the waiting room to retain a three-foot distance between them in order to maintain social distancing

 

Regarding Staff and Volunteers:

• A staff member or volunteer will meet with the patient at the front door, check them in, and provide mask and hand sanitizer when necessary

• All staff and volunteers will be documented when meeting any patient throughout the patient's visit to help with follow-up if a patient is later to be found COIVD-19 positive

• The staff, volunteer nurse and volunteer interpreters can move about the clinic when necessary

• Volunteers are not to use any clinic equipment that is not necessary for their job duties.

• All patient exam rooms shall be cleaned and sanitized after EACH visit by either volunteer or staff

• Patients will be scheduled no earlier than 8:30 a.m. during day clinics and are to be scheduled on the half hour and hour

• Patients will be scheduled no earlier than 5 p.m. during night clinics and are to be scheduled on the half hour and hour

• Staff are responsible to make sure areas are clean and disinfected, and that volunteers have the appropriate PPE and hygiene products throughout their volunteer shift

• If a meal is served to staff and volunteers, it shall be of the takeout variety

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June 1, 2020

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June 1, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: CHHC COVID-19 Stance and Protocol

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  CHHC's suspension of face-to-face interactions ceased at midnight on June 1, 2020. The Community of Hope Health Clinic will resume normal operations with the attached protocol. Our video interactions will continue.  The Community of Hope Health Clinic has no reports of any staff, volunteers, or patients testing positive for COVID-19 and have been present inside the clinic nor been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. Thursday morning new patient intake is still suspended at this time. Those who are new to CHHC will need to call the clinic to schedule an appointment and go through the vetting process.

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

 

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Protocol for reopening CHHC June 2020

 

In order to make sure that the patients, volunteers and staff of the Community of Hope Health Clinic (CHHC) continue to remain safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the CHHC Executive Director has approved with insight from the Board of Directors and Medical Committee the following protocols to establish a safe environment during clinic hours.

 

All patients, volunteers, and staff must be screened before or while they enter the building for temperature, oxygen levels, and COVID questionnaire. A dedicated staff member or volunteer at CHHC shall be appointed to perform these duties.

 

All patients, volunteers, and staff must wear masks during the clinic hours. This includes ALL general volunteers, interpreters, nurses, and providers.  Masks worn to the clinic for patients at  minimum need to be surgical grade. Volunteers and staff shall wear N95 of kN95 when possible and surgical when 95s are not available. If ANY of the aforementioned persons does not have a mask, CHHC will provide a surgical mask. Those interacting with patients will utilize eyewear if available.

 

In regard to Patients:

• No visitors are allowed with patients

• Caregivers are allowed for the elderly or disabled

• Patients must remain seated in the designated waiting room after being checked in

• Chairs are not to be moved by patients in the waiting room in order to retain a six-foot distance between them in order to maintain social distancing

• Patients may not change chairs in the waiting room once one is selected

• A maximum of seven (7) chairs are allowed in the waiting room at all times

 

In regard to Staff and Volunteers:

• A staff member or volunteer will meet with the patient at the front door, check them in, and provide mask and hand sanitizer when necessary

• All staff and volunteers will be documented when coming in contact with any patient throughout the patient's visit

• The paid staff and one (1) volunteer nurse and possibly volunteer interpreters are allowed to move about the clinic when necessary

• Volunteers are not to use any clinic equipment that is not necessary for their job duties. Examples include computers, tablets, copiers, etc. The Clinic Coordinator or Executive Director have the ability to assign one volunteer if necessary to operate such machinery

• All patient exam rooms shall be cleaned and sanitized after EACH visit by either volunteer or paid staff

• In order to keep from cross contamination, patients are asked to immediately move to exam tables and not to use other furniture such as chairs in exam rooms

• Patients will be scheduled no earlier than 9 a.m. during day clinics and are to be scheduled on the half hour and hour

• Patients will be scheduled no earlier than 5 p.m. during night clinics and are to be scheduled on the half hour and hour

• Paid staff is responsible to make sure areas are clean and disinfected, and also that volunteers have the appropriate PPE and hygiene products throughout their volunteer shift

• If a meal is served to staff and volunteers, it shall be of the takeout variety and there is to be not consumption of food in both CHHC and the Health Department

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April 30, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: CHHC COVID-19 Stance and Protocol

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  At this time, CHHC's suspension of face-to-face interactions with patients has been extended to May 15, 2020. Our video interactions will continue.  We will remain open from an administrative standpoint by taking patient phone calls, calling in referrals and refills, and directing patients as best we can during this time. We will assess the viability of CHHC seeing patients at the clinic just before the end of the shutdown and make an update by the middle of Mayl 2020 as to whether or not CHHC will open after May 15. The Community of Hope Health Clinic has no reports of any staff, volunteers, or patients testing positive for COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. 

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

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March 31, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: CHHC COVID-19 Stance and Protocol

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  At this time, CHHC's suspension of face-to-face interactions with patients has been extended to April 30, 2020. Our video interactions will continue.  We will remain open from an administrative standpoint by taking patient phone calls, calling in referrals and refills, and directing patients as best we can during this time. We will assess the viability of CHHC seeing patients at the clinic just before the end of the shutdown and make an update by the end of April 2020 as to whether or not CHHC will open after this next month. The Community of Hope Health Clinic has no reports of any staff, volunteers, or patients testing positive for COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. 

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

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March 18, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: CHHC COVID-19-HIPAA Regulations

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  On a limited basis, the Community of Hope Health Clinic will begin consulting with patients through the online video service Skype. This service will currently be available to only current CHHC patients and will be appointment-based.

 

Those patients affected by the cancellation of appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be contacted to see if they have Skype capabilities. Patients will then be given a time in which they will be contacted by one of the providers at CHHC. This process will continue until further notice.

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic has no reports of any staff, volunteers, or patients testing positive for COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. 

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

Thank you,

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

​

March 16, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: CHHC COVID-19 Stance and Protocol

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  At this time, CHHC will suspend any face-to-face interaction with patients for a minimum of two weeks.  We will remain open from an administrative standpoint by taking patient phone calls, calling in referrals and refills, and directing patients as best we can during this time. We will assess the viability of CHHC seeing patients at the clinic just before the end of the shutdown and make an update by the end of March 2020 as to whether or not CHHC will open after these two weeks. The Community of Hope Health Clinic has no reports of any staff, volunteers, or patients testing positive for COVID-19 or been in contact with someone who has tested positive. We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. 

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

​

March 10, 2020

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEMO

 

Re: COVID-19 Stance and Protocol

 

Greetings,

 

The Community of Hope Health Clinic-A Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is closely monitoring updates from local and national public health authorities concerning the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  We are also actively engaged with our state partners and local community in order to share information about opportunities to acquire resources and/or to coordinate efforts wherever possible, should the need arise. 

 

Excellent information is available on the CDC website for healthcare facilities on how to prepare for an outbreak and to protect patients and staff.

 

At this time, the Community of Hope Health Clinic will continue to operate as normal. At this moment we have not received any information that suggests our patients, staff, and volunteers are at-risk for contracting COVID-19. As such, the decision has been made to continue to offer the valuable services to the residents of Shelby County.

 

Please continue to monitor the CHHC Web site, email, and Facebook for updates to this policy. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

 

 

Thank you,

 

 

 

Justin R. Johnston

Executive Director

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