Compassion and safety at the heart of essential care | Guestview – Pensacola News Journal

Dawn Rudolph, Guest columnist Published 12:00 a.m. CT June 6, 2020

Over the past few weeks, many people postponed care for almost all of their health needs from elective procedures and surgeries to vaccinations, and from routine checkups to important health screenings. These extraordinary measures were necessary to meet the critical care needs of patients and communities across the state of Florida.

Ascension Sacred Heart is fully prepared to provide all of the important health care and procedures that patients might need urgently, have put off during this time or have been considering. Balancing care with caution, we have added strict safety precautions to help protect both patients and caregivers. And we continuously monitor guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, then adjust safety precautions accordingly.

Dawn Rudolph(Photo: Courtesy of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola)

These precautions include:

Emergency rooms across the country are reporting that fewer people who suffer heart attacks, strokes and serious injuries are coming to ERs to get the critical care they need. Avoiding care can make these conditions worse or recovery more difficult. For example, even a small delay in seeing care for a stroke can be the difference between recovery and permanent disability.

Delaying care for chronic conditions, routine appointments and screenings could also impact a persons long-term health. Whether its rescheduling a delayed visit or scheduling care for a new health concern, overall health is too important to delay.

We have added more options for receiving care, including the ability to see your Ascension Medical Group doctor virtually, when it makes sense. While insurance coverage limited virtual care we were able to provide before the pandemic, we launched virtual visits with our local providersin March. For the past six weeks, they have averaged 2,500 virtual visits a week. We will be advocating that this openness to virtual visits remain in effect from now on for the convenience of our patients.

Our doors have remained open to patients who have needed us for urgent or emergency care, and we are now scheduling for all types of care. Regular follow-up visits, surgeries whatever the need, were here for you. From the routine, to important care and emergency care, patients can get the care they need, when they need it, even now:

Dawn Rudolph is the president of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola.

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Compassion and safety at the heart of essential care | Guestview - Pensacola News Journal