Here is the Ballad Health senior leadership COVID-19 update, sent March 13, 2020, from the Corporate Emergency Operations Center (CEOC) to be cascaded down to all team members. For more information about our response to COVID-19, visit our COVID-19 web pages:
- Internally on the Ballad Health intranet (look under Quick Links)
- Externally on BalladHealth.org
- Here’s our previous announcement about Ballad Health’s response to COVID-19.
- For any questions, email our CEOC at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@balladhealth.org.
As of Monday, March 16, Ballad Health will be adhering to the following guidelines:
Visitation restrictions
Hospitals
- Limit their public entry points
- Engage all visitors in screening protocols, including temperature checks
- Prohibit visitors under age 18
- Limit visitation to one guest per patient. Patients in birthing centers or pediatric units may have two visitors.
- Exceptions can be made a case-by-case basis for hospice and end-of-life care.
Long-term care
- Ballad Health has ceased all visitation for its long-term care facilities.
- Exceptions can be made a case-by-case basis for hospice and end-of-life care.
Students and non-essential vendors
- All students, inclusive of high school and college interns, medical students and nursing students, are restricted from all facilities.
- All non-essential vendors, including pharmaceutical vendors, are restricted from visiting all facilities, including Ballad Health Medical Associates offices. Vendors visiting the operating room are exempt from these restrictions.
- We will revisit these restrictions on March 30.
Meetings and public gatherings
- All internal meetings of 50 or more people should be cancelled or postponed until further notice.
- Public and community groups that come in to use our facilities should also cancel or postpone planned meetings. While we appreciate this might cause a strain on these organizations, we must adhere to the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.
- We will communicate information about cancelled or rescheduled events on a case-by-case basis.
- Upcoming team member orientations are being gauged for their potential attendance. We’re exploring options for virtual orientation.
- We have received requests for team member town halls, and a number of brief, limited-audience sessions are being scheduled. More information will be forthcoming.
- At this time, Ballad Health is not instructing team members to work from home. However, as a leader within Ballad Health, please begin planning and evaluating how work-from-home initiatives could be deployed in the future for team members who are not required to be on-site.
- Above all, we need to remain committed to the overall mission and daily work of Ballad Health, while also being vigilant about the COVID-19 threat.
Communications and updates
- CEOC messaging is being sent to various audiences, such as Ballad Health All, managers, directors and the like.
- If you receive a COVID-19 message, please check the “To” field to check the recipient level.
- Messages are clearly being marked as to whether they should be cascaded. Please strictly adhere to this guidance.
- All appropriate messages will be posted to the Ballad Health.
