COVID changes Milwaukee-area hospital policies
MILWAUKEE - A surge in COVID cases has Milwaukee-area hospitals adjusting policies in an effort to keep staff and patients safe.
At the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, there's been a big change for patients and visitors:
"We moved away from the cloth masks to now a more procedural, surgical type mask," said Dr. Ankur Patel. "We know that’s a little bit better."
Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee
Dr. Patel said the change applies to anyone entering the VA, regardless of vaccination status. Cloth masks are out, and only medical-grade masks or N95 or KN95 masks are allowed.
"As you look at different masks and move in terms of complexity, there is a higher level of protection the better the mask," said Dr. Patel.
FOX6 checked in with three other large hospitals in the Milwaukee area, each with their own set of rules.
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"In our hospitals, all of our health care workers are utilizing N95 masks when they are caring for patients with COVID infections," said Dr. Robert Citronberg, Advocate Aurora Health.
At Aurora facilities, patients are required to wear procedure or cloth masks. Hospitals, with a few exceptions, are no longer allowing visitors.
Ascension also has restrictions on visitors. At Columbia St. Mary’s, for example, children under 18 are not allowed to visit patients, and all visitors must be screened for COVID upon entry. Ascension’s policy also requires all visitors to wear a hospital-provided mask.
Finally, as of Wednesday, Jan. 12, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin is once again enacting its most restrictive visitor policy. There are limited exceptions here, too, but no visitors are allowed in hospital inpatient areas, emergency departments and urgent care locations. Visitors and outpatients will be handed a medical-grade mask and must keep them on. It’s all an effort to stop the spread.
"I think there is a public misconception that the worst of the pandemic is over," said Dr. Patel. "If you ask anyone in the health care setting or hospital, they will tell you it’s nothing further from the truth to think that."
Dr. Patel reminded that getting vaccinated and boosted will also significantly lower the severity of the disease and keep people out of the hospital.
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