Please read this important email from Houston Methodist Executive Vice President Roberta Schwartz, originally sent March 31, 2022, about changes to Houston Methodist mask policies.
As a result of declining community spread of COVID-19, Houston Methodist is loosening its restrictions on visitors, patient testing and masking starting April 4. This is wonderful news as we have endured two years of the pandemic so far. But please know that this easing of restrictions will change again if we see an uptick of COVID-19 cases in our community. Right now, we are seeing an increase in the proportion of BA.2 cases in Houston with our latest data showing 24% of COVID-19 cases in metropolitan Houston are BA.2. The good news is we only have 66 COVID-19 patients in our hospitals, and we are not seeing an increase in hospitalizations. If that changes, we will quickly revert to our previous, more conservative practices. Thank you.
VISITOR POLICY AND SCREENING STATIONS
Houston Methodist is lifting all COVID-19 visitor restrictions. There may be restrictions still in place in specific areas of our hospitals where visitors were always limited, for example the ICUs and emergency departments.
Houston Methodist screening stations are also being eliminated but we will encourage visitors to wear masks. Each campus can decide if it will make masks available at all entrances.
COVID-19 PREOP AND PRE-PROCEDURE TESTING:
The following guidelines are for procedures where intubation or LMA placement is performed and/or aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) are performed (i.e. surgery, cath lab, endoscopy, OB, interventional radiology, bronchoscopy).
When no testing is required:
- Boosted and not symptomatic.
- Vaccinated with the initial series in the last six months and not symptomatic.
- Confirmed previously positive in the last 90 days and not symptomatic.
When testing is required within five days before procedure:
- Vaccinated with initial series more than six months ago, and no booster.
- Unvaccinated
- Symptomatic regardless of vaccination status.
Testing for patients who have confirmed COVID-19, regardless of vaccine status:
Non-emergency procedures
- Delay procedure until symptoms have diminished and no fever in the last 72 hours without fever reducing medication and
- For patients who are immunocompromised delay procedure for at least 21 days since symptoms onset, then must have two negative COVID PCR tests at least 24 hours apart from NP swabs.
- For patients who have had severe or critical illness requiring ICU stay delay procedure for at least 21 days from onset of symptoms. No testing is required.
- For patients who have had mild to moderate symptoms and are not immunocompromised, delay procedure for at least 11 days – No testing is required after the 11 days have passed since onset of symptoms.
Emergency procedures.
- Test patient for COVID-19 by PCR from NP swab. Proceed with procedure even if results are pending, but take appropriate precautions as outlined in the AGP guide.
EMPLOYEE AND PATIENT MASKING RESTRICTIONS
Beginning April 4, masks are only required in the following situations:
- Staff in clinical areas such as patient rooms, exam rooms, procedure rooms and diagnostic testing rooms, must continue to wear appropriate masks during patient care activities.
- Staff closely interacting with patients for prolonged periods outside of clinical areas stated above.
- Staff and patients in waiting rooms of doctor’s offices or procedure areas.
- Staff or volunteers transporting or escorting patients.
- Staff working and people getting tested at COVID-19 collection sites.
- Staff with vaccination exemptions should wear PPE as outlined in the PPE guide.
OTHER MASK GUIDELINES
- Staff who would like to continue to mask, may do so.
- Employees who work in administrative areas are no longer required to wear masks.
- Masks are no longer required in on-site meetings and food is allowed.
- In Houston Methodist gyms, only staff with vaccination exemptions must wear masks, otherwise they are no longer required.
Roberta Schwartz
Executive Vice President
Chief Innovation Officer
Houston Methodist Hospital
Leave a Reply