The Desimone Levee on the Green River failed and is under repair. The hospital is above the flood zone and currently in no danger of flooding. We evacuated our Time Square and Kent Station Clinics and our Lind Avenue locations. Several locations are experiencing staffing issues due to severe traffic impacts. Impacted patients are being contacted to reschedule appointments. Please be safe, do not drive or walk through standing water, and call 9-1-1 if you need emergency evacuation assistance.
Click here for King County Road Closure Real-time Tracker.
Respiratory Protection (Temporary Airborne Precautions) Required during AGPs on Asymptomatic Patients Awaiting COVID Results
Clarification about Airborne Precautions
There have been several questions regarding the need for airborne precautions when performing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) on asymptomatic patients who are awaiting a pending clearance test. VMC is clarifying that any aerosol-generating procedures performed on patients awaiting a pending clearance test (asymptomatic) should be performed under Temporary Airborne Precautions (with respiratory protection), unless/until the patient has a negative COVID test and no other respiratory-transmissible infections.
There has also been some confusion regarding how to communicate that a patient is on temporary Airborne Precautions due to an aerosol-generating procedure. Infection Prevention is introducing the sign below which should be mounted on a patient room door and filled in to indicate when the room ventilation is complete post-procedure, so that others entering the room are aware that respiratory protection is required in the interim.
This chart summarizes these changes:
