Initiatives to Reduce the Spread of
COVID-19
Flu Tent: Our flu tent will allow patients with respiratory
illness symptoms (fever, cough, and shortness of breath), a history of travel,
and believed exposure to COVID-19, to be screened prior to entering the emergency
department (ED) at NHCP. The flu tent began providing services March 6, 2020,
and is open 24/7.
Those
who are seeking evaluation for flu-like illness or potential COVID-19 infection
will be directed to the flu tent where they will be checked in, triaged, and
evaluated by a licensed provider, all within the tent. During the triage
process, the providers will determine if further evaluation and testing is
needed, or if patients can proceed home for self-observation. The flu tent is
primarily a screening process to determine the right course of care for
patients and not all patients will be tested.
Pharmacy Tent & Drive-Thru Pharmacy: A pharmacy tent was stood up March 20, to minimize
the foot traffic inside the hospital. The tent is for patients either picking
up refills or filling new prescriptions from outside the hospital and hours of operation
are Monday–Friday, 0730-1800.
NHCP
is also leveraging the 13 Area drive-thru for picking up prescriptions, new or refills.
The main hospital has absorbed the workload for all refills for NBHC Port
Hueneme and Temecula due to decrease in staffing at the branch clinics.
Medical
Services
Bottom Line Up Front: Any
changes will be made to protect our patients and staff, and to conserve limited
resources. Specifically, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton will:
·
Resume wellness and preventive visits, prioritizing
care to high risk patients and preventive care that was deferred, particularly
for maintaining active duty readiness and deployability.
·
Limit dental services to readiness exams and
non-aerosol generating procedures until conditions change.
·
Continue to encourage use of telehealth /
virtual health for care delivery as appropriate.
·
Continue to limit points of entry at all
facilities to ensure all staff, patients, and visitors are screened for
COVID-19 symptoms.
·
Limit visitors to ensure social distancing is
maintained.
·
Ensure outpatient facilities and waiting areas
have adequate space for maintaining social distancing.
·
Promote use of the Nurse Advice Line for care
options for all beneficiaries, 1-800-TRICARE, option 1.
·
Continue to appropriately triage patients with
COVID-19 symptoms.
·
Designated specific rooms for known or suspected
COVID-19 patients.
Acute Services: Acute services across all service lines continue to
be maintained.
Routine Services: Each clinic
is assessing the capability, need, and safety for resuming routine services at
this time. Clinical decisions to restart services and procedures will be based
on a risk assessment by subject matter experts.
Mental
Health: Mental
Health will continue to provide outpatient and acute services, observing social
distancing and COVID-19 screening procedures to ensure the safety of patients
and staff.
Continuing Psychiatric Care: Patients requiring
continuing psychiatric care will remain in their barracks/housing and utilize
telehealth care options. Some patients may require in-person care and NHCP will
continue to support that care. Patients will contact the outpatient Mental Health
Clinic to schedule a telehealth appointment or discuss their care needs.
Emergency Department Psychiatric Evaluations: There is no change to
emergency department psychiatry evaluations and care.
Outpatient Mental Health, SARP, and TBI: These services have
transitioned to telehealth, meaning care is provided telephonically for all
non-urgent care. Patients can be brought in for urgent care situations, as
determined by a provider. Patients should contact the clinic to schedule a
telehealth appointment.
Primary Care: All Area Branch Health Clinics (ABHC)
and NHCP will remain open for primary care services and acute care.
Face-to-face appointments for urgent care services will be available as well as
virtual appointments for routine medical needs.
The Pediatrics
Clinic will continue well child visits and immunizations for children, newborn
through 12 months.
Appointments
can be made through the appointment Call Center at 760-725-HELP (4357). Clinic
hours, which are Monday–Friday, 0730-1600, are not being reduced at this time.
Surgical
Services: Services will be maintained
for all sub-specialties (ENT, general surgery, oral maxillofacial surgery,
ophthalmology, orthopedics and urology) to include urgent, emergent, acute,
post-op, cancer, trauma, and readiness and LIMDU needs.
Elective procedures have resumed, health care providers
at NHCP will prioritize cases to maintain active duty readiness and
deployability. Health care providers and specialists will also determine
whether the risk of delaying a procedure outweighs safety and logistical
concerns.
Clinical Support Services:
Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT):
PT and OT clinics are open for normal business hours at all locations.
Currently, the clinic is seeing patients with acute injuries and postoperative
conditions taking priority to allow for social distancing. Patients with
chronic conditions, including pain will likely experience longer wait times to
schedule appointments but will be evaluated and given home exercises.
Pharmacy: The
NHCP pharmacy has expanded coverage to support the flu treatment clinic and
rapidly prepare over-the-counter cough and cold medications, and prescription
medications, such as Tamiflu. Hours of operation are:
·
Monday–Friday,
0730-1900
·
Saturdays,
0800-1500
Pharmacy
tent: A pharmacy tent was stood up March 20, to
minimize foot traffic inside the hospital. This service is for patients either
picking up refills or filling new prescriptions from outside the hospital. Operating
hours are Monday–Friday, 0730-1800.
13 Area
Drive-thru Pharmacy: The13 Area drive-thru is being leveraged for refill and new
prescription pick-up. Patients can select this option when calling the refill
line at 1-866-286-8249.
Radiology: NHCP’s Radiology Department is back to
routine appointments and supporting all emergency department, admitted, and
surgical or post-operative patients. Routine obstetric ultrasound and nuclear
medicine cases are also still being supported.
Dental Services: Dental
services will continue to provide care in support of active duty readiness and
emergencies. Dental clinics are performing routine annual exams for active duty
members, as well as aerosol producing procedures in closed door treatment rooms
for class II and III (treatment of active dental disease) active duty members.
Dental cleanings are still on hold at this time.
Billing Office:
There have been no changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions
& Answers
Q1: Does the hospital have the ability
to test for COVID-19?
A1: We continue to remain in close coordination
with the Naval Health Research Center to have access to test kits and ensure
compliance with all testing procedures associated with patients exhibiting
possible COVID-19 symptoms. NHCP is not a testing lab. While NHCP does not have
the ability to conduct confirmation testing, providers are able to collect
samples and submit to DOD or local laborites for testing and confirmation.
Q2: Where can Navy Sailors and Navy
civilians find more information concerning COVID-19/all-stop guidance?
A2: Navy military
members and their families who have questions regarding COVID-19 guidance or
entitlements associated with stop movement should contact the MyNavy Career
Center (1-833-330-6622) or email AskMNCC@navy.mil. Detailers are ready
to support all order modifications and commands should work with their
placement officers. Navy civilians should work with their local Human Resources
Office.
Q3: What actions is the hospital taking
during this pandemic?
A3: Naval
Hospital Camp Pendleton remains open
and dedicated to serving the health care needs of our active duty service
members, family members, and beneficiaries. As Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton
responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have implemented additional health
protection measures to minimize foot traffic throughout the facility and help
mitigate the spread of the virus, enabling us to better preserve the health and
well-being of patients and staff. They remain committed to providing safe,
efficient, and high-quality care to their patients.
Q4: Is Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton resuming
services?
A4: Yes. As
elective procedures are resumed, health care providers at Naval Hospital Camp
Pendleton will prioritize cases to maintain active duty readiness and deployability.
Health care providers and specialists will also determine whether the risk of
delaying a procedure outweighs safety and logistical concerns. Careful
attention will be paid to local conditions and changes to the level of services
available will be adjusted as required to best protect patients and staff and
reduce spread of the virus.
Q5: How is Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton
conducting the resumption of services (i.e. new hours, times, locations)?
A5: Naval
Hospital Camp Pendleton has begun a
phased approach to resuming elective procedures in alignment with the
Department of Defense’s (DoD) health protection condition (HPCON) framework and
the administration’s “Opening Up America Again” plan. Naval Hospital Camp
Pendleton continues to encourage the
use of virtual care, when appropriate, and is taking all necessary steps to
ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff. As services resume and
operating hours and locations return to normal, staff will communicate through
a variety of means to inform beneficiaries.
Q6: What specific services is Naval
Hospital Camp Pendleton resuming?
A6: Naval
Hospital Camp Pendleton is resuming
wellness and preventive visits, prioritizing care to high risk patients and
preventive care that was deferred, particularly for maintaining active duty
readiness and deployability. Additionally, limited dental services will be
provided for readiness exams and non-aerosol generating procedures. Naval
Hospital Camp Pendleton will continue to encourage use of telehealth / virtual
health for care delivery as appropriate.
Q7. What should I do if I feel sick or
think I was exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19?
A7. If you have
symptoms of COVID-19, have been in close contact with a person sick with
COVID-19, or traveled to areas where infection is prevalent, don’t make an
appointment or walk into your local military hospital or clinic. Instead, stay
at home and contact your provider or health care professional at any of the
following:
Q8: How can I reach a registered nurse?
A8: There are several ways to reach a registered
nurse:
- - Call
the Central Appointment Line, or your civilian provider appointment line.
- - Call
the 24/7 Nurse Advice Line (1-800-874-2273, option 1).
- - Send
a secure message through TRICARE Online Patient Portal to speak with the
healthcare team.
As always, if you are experiencing a medical emergency,
contact 911.