SHAKOPEE, Minn. — In response to Governor Walz’s May 5 Executive Order allowing health care facilities to resume elective surgeries, St. Francis Regional Medical Center will resume non-emergency and non-urgent surgeries beginning Monday, May 11. Hospital leaders will continue to follow the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 guidelines.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone at St. Francis for coming together and working tirelessly to implement the safety protocols necessary to continue to provide the exceptional high-quality, compassionate care that St. Francis is known for,” said Amy Jerdee, president of St. Francis. “We’ve been working hard to prepare to provide the necessary hospital services for this community, while holding the safety of patients, as well as our staff’s safety, as our highest priorities.”
St. Francis is employing numerous safety protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while providing the necessary care for patients entering the facility. The hospital has instituted multiple infection prevention precautions throughout the building to protect both patients and staff, including:
- - Barriers in the Emergency Department waiting area and Plexiglas windows between check-in staff and patients at various locations throughout the hospital.
- - Workflow changes to route patients with potential COVID-19 symptoms to separate areas of the Emergency Department and inpatient units to minimize the risk of exposure for patients coming with other health concerns.
- - Enhanced visitor restrictions, greatly minimizing the number of outside individuals entering the hospital.
- - Staff greeters stationed at every entrance to screen patients, vendors and visitors coming to St. Francis. If a patient screens positive for symptoms of COVID-19, they are taken directly to a room rather than waiting in a lobby. If a vendor or visitor screens positive, they are not allowed to enter.
- - Implementation of social distancing practices throughout the facility, including in staff break rooms and work areas, and patient waiting areas.
- - Universal masking and other recommended personal protective equipment practices recommended by the CDC.
- - Careful tracking of the usage and current supply of personal protective equipment available to St. Francis.
- - Enhanced cleaning processes in all hospital areas including patient rooms, staff areas and public areas.
In addition, Allina Health and Park Nicollet both provide virtual patient care options and guide patients needing in-clinic care to safe and appropriate settings within our community. Allina Health patients can call their clinic or visit Get Care Now for help navigating their care needs. Park Nicollet patients can call their clinic or visit virtuwell.com.
About St. Francis Regional Medical Center
St. Francis Regional Medical Center is owned by Allina Health, HealthPartners Park Nicollet and Essentia Health. This unique structure combines the caring and compassion of a community hospital with the advanced medical technology, specialties and expertise of industry-leading health systems. St. Francis provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency care services on a collaborative medical campus with more than 30 affiliated clinics and 450 providers in the community.