Initiatives
to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19
COVID Care Line. An Okinawa-wide COVID Care Line is now
available for DoD beneficiaries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patents can
call the island-wide number at 098-971-9691 (from on base-646-9691) for all
COVID-19 questions and concerns. If unable to get through, patients can contact
the Nurse Advice Line at 012-099-6985 (from Japanese cell phones) or
0066-3382-1820 (Japanese toll free number).
Curbside Pickup. In an effort to maximize social
distancing, the USNH Okinawa Camp Foster pharmacy has implemented a curbside
service for prescription pick-up starting as of April 8. This applies to
renewals, refills, new prescriptions, and emergency contraceptives. Smoking
cessation consultations will not be offered at this time.
If you believe you were
potentially exposed to COVID-19, please do NOT come directly to the hospital or
branch medical clinic. Call the COVID Care Line at 098-971-9691 (from on
base-646-9691). If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please dial 911
(from off base or cell dial 098-911-1911).
Patients with respiratory
symptoms will be seen in the USNHO Respiratory Care clinic located on the 1st
deck of the hospital.
Several strategies have been
employed to ensure patients’ health care needs can be addressed as we continue
working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Primary and specialty care services
have moved to employ virtual health resources on a much broader scale,
maintaining direct communication between providers and patients.
Medical Services
Bottom Line Up Front: Protecting the health and safety of our patients and
staff and conserving limited resources are our top priorities at this time and
USNHO is taking the following
precautions:
·
Immunization
clinic services are offered on an appointment-only basis from noon to 3:50
p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
o
No
appointment is necessary to receive immunizations immediately following a
scheduled visit at the USNHO Pediatrics or OBGYN clinics.
o
Vaccines
are not administered from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursdays.
·
Using
appropriate person protective equipment (PPE) and isolation techniques, USNHO dental
services is offering readiness exams AND treating patients falling into three
categories: 1) emergent, 2) urgent, and 3) low acuity, high long-term
morbidity.
o
The
dentist will determine which of these categories a patient falls into.
·
Limiting
hospital entry points and screening all patients and visitors prior to entry.
·
Restricting
visitors.
·
Using
telehealth options for health care delivery, wherever possible.
·
Maintaining
urgent, emergent, and acute care.
·
Promoting
use of the Nurse Advice Line for care options for all beneficiaries,
012-099-6985 (from Japanese cell phones) or 0066-3382-1820 (Japanese toll free
number). Web/video chat link is https://mhsnurseadviceline.com.
·
As USNHO
anticipates caring for COVID-19 patients within the facility, it is especially
important to practice good social distancing and avoid unnecessary risk of
exposure. Patients are asked to please avoid coming into the hospital or clinics
unless their needs cannot be otherwise addressed. They are also asked to not
bring additional family members into the facility who do not require care as it
increases risk of exposure.
Acute
Services: Acute
services across all service lines will 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
inpatient and acute services, observing social distancing and COVID-19
screening procedures to ensure safety.
Primary Care: Primary care clinics are working to convert routine,
face-to-face appointments to virtual or telephone appointments to the greatest
extent possible. If during a virtual or telehealth appointment a provider
determines that an in-person evaluation is necessary, clinic staff will book an
appointment and provide instructions on how to report to the clinic for an
exam.
For patients who may
potentially have an infectious illness, this will likely be done in the Family
Medicine clinic spaces on the 1st deck, even if they are normally seen in
Internal Medicine or Pediatrics.
Patients in need of
treatment for non-infectious complaints will be seen on the 2nd deck, within
the Pediatric or Internal Medicine spaces. This includes patients enrolled to
Family Medicine.
Well-Child Visits: Well child visits for those aged 2 weeks, 2 months,
4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, 24 months and 48 months are being
conducted via face-to-face appointments.
For
patients who must present to our facilities in person, we ask that you adhere
to the updated visitor policy and limit yourself to a single escort in the
outpatient setting. Bringing additional family members with you into the
facility who do not require care increases the risk of exposure for everyone.
Surgical Services: Non-elective
procedures, particularly those for acute and urgent conditions will continue,
as will procedures required to keep service members medically ready and
deployable.
Notice
of patient mask usage on labor and delivery. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need to
protect both our health care workers and our patients, we have instituted the
following safety measures for the inpatient obstetric ward:
·
All
patients and visitors on labor and delivery will wear a mask when health care
workers are within a distance of six feet.
·
Patients
and visitors may remove their masks in their individual labor rooms if they are
asymptomatic and there are no health care workers present.
·
When
pushing, a laboring woman may remove her mask if all health care workers
present are wearing protective gear.
Clinical
Support Services:
Optometry: In
order better practice social distancing, Optometry is adjusting their services
to glasses refractions only. All other patients should postpone their routine
ocular health exams to after the COVID-19 pandemic has diminished. Emergency
eye exams are still available (suspected pink eye, vision loss, intense eye
pain, or increased floaters/flashes/curtain in vision).
WiSH Center: As a precautionary measure aimed at
preventing the spread of COVID-19, USNH Okinawa is limiting services at the
Walk-in Contraception Clinic (WiSH) until further notice.
·
For
STI services, patients must now contact their primary care physician.
·
Vasectomy
services will not be provided during this time.
For all contraceptive
services:
·
Patients
needing birth control refills must now call their primary care physician’s
office. A telephone consult will be placed for the patient and birth control
pill/patch/ring refills can now be placed by phone, no appointment is necessary.
·
Some
limited virtual appointments will be available within the OB/GYN Clinic on a
walk in basis. Patients can sign up for these services either by calling the
clinic or providing contact information in person. They will be contacted for their
virtual appointment on the following Tuesday during routine business hours.
Pharmacy:
The USNHO pharmacy department is encouraging
the use of the automated refill pickup line (098-971-7999) or TRICARE Online
(www.tricareonline.com) to request prescription refills ahead of time.
New
prescriptions and renewals will still require a visit to the pharmacy to
initiate the process. However, after checking in and conducting the initial
interview, there is no requirement to wait in the lobby for the prescription to
be filled. Patients can leave their phone number with the pharmacy staff. They
will receive a phone call or text message when their prescription is ready for
pickup.
Before
coming to the pharmacy, it is highly recommended that patients call ahead at
646-WELL to speak to a pharmacy staff member for advanced processing to
minimize wait times.
For
prescription refills, please continue to use 098-971-7999 or use TRICARE Online.
Once the prescriptions have been processed, pharmacy staff will contact patients
via a text or phone when the prescription is ready for pickup. Patients are
asked not to walk into the hospital to pick up prescriptions.
Curbside
Pickup: In an effort to
maximize social distancing, the USNH Okinawa Camp Foster pharmacy has
implemented a curbside service for prescription pick-up starting as of April 8.
This applies to renewals, refills, new prescriptions, and emergency
contraceptives. To use curbside pickup, patients have two options: in a vehicle
or by foot:
·
Should
follow the signs to the south entrance of the hospital, near the flagpole, to
pick-up your prescriptions. For those without a vehicle, the process is the
same but with a separate queue for pedestrian traffic.
Smoking
cessation consultations will not be offered at this time.
Pharmacy
medication take-back days have been canceled until further notice.
Radiology: The walk-in clinic for mammography has
been suspended temporarily in response to COVID-19 concerns. Screening
mammography is still available by appointment by calling 646-WELL (option 7,
then option 3).
Immunizations: Immunization services are offered on an
appointment-only basis from noon to 3:50 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Friday. No appointment is necessary to receive immunizations immediately
following a scheduled visit at the USNHO Pediatrics or OBGYN clinic.
·
Vaccines
will not be administered from noon to 4 p.m., Thursdays
Dental Services: Using
appropriate PPE and isolation techniques, USNHO Dental Services are offering
readiness exams AND treating patients falling into three categories: 1)
Emergency, 2) Urgency, 3) Low acuity, high long-term morbidity. The doctor will determine if your situation
fits one of these categories.
Services that
will continue include:
·
Emergency
dental services. Emergency status will be determined by the treating doctor.
·
Readiness
exams, to include overseas screenings, for active duty.
·
Overseas
screenings for family members programmed to PCS within 180 days.
The partial
suspension includes non-emergency dental procedures planned to take place at
the hospital, including the operating room. This situation may change but is
projected to extend through May 16.
Visitor Policy
As
a precaution against COVID-19, USNHO has implemented the following policies
regarding visitation:
·
Patients
are allowed one visitor and no visitors under the age of 18 will be allowed to
visit.
·
Before
a visitor may enter a patient’s room, USNHO will provide guidance about
appropriate hand hygiene, limiting the number of surfaces touched, and use of
personal protective equipment (PPE) during the visit.
·
At
this time, one person over the age of 18 may visit a patient having a scheduled,
non-emergent Cesarean delivery.
·
Official
command visits may be conducted but will be limited to two visitors.
·
Parent(s)
may visit children who are patients at any time.
o
For
safety reasons, a parent or parent-appointed adult should remain with children
who are patients at all times
o
Children
under the age of 6 must NOT be left without a parent or parent-appointed adult
for an extended period of time.
·
Based
on the patient’s condition, a visit may be ended by hospital staff at any time
and the visitor will be asked to leave and return at a more suitable time.
·
Patients
on the sick list (SL) or very sick list (VSL) may have one visitor at any time,
but this will be limited to immediate family or significant other. This may be
adjusted on a case-by-case basis.
·
If
any specialized treatment or procedure is required during a visit, the visitor(s)
will be asked to leave the area until the treatment or procedure is finished.
The nursing staff will inform the family member when the visit may be resumed.
Questions and Answers
Q1: Does the hospital have the ability
to test for COVID-19?
A1: USNHO has the
capacity to collect specimens and test for COVID-19 as required. We can also
partner with other military treatment facilities for additional capacity, if
needed, and Navy Medicine is working to expand local, high-volume testing
capacity.
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: USNHO remains
open and dedicated to serving the health care needs of our active duty service
members, family members, and beneficiaries. As USNHO 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 USNHO resuming
services?
A4:
At this time, USNHO is not resuming service; however, acute services across all
service lines will be maintained. Clinical decisions to either resume services
or postpone routine care will be based on a risk assessment by subject matter
experts. Changes will be made as necessary to best protect patients and staff,
preserve limited resources, and reduce spread of the virus. Specifically, USNHO
is:
·
Suspending
non-emergent, elective surgeries and procedures.
·
Limiting
hospital entry points and screening all patients and visitors prior to entry.
·
Restricting
visitors.
·
Using
telehealth options for care delivery, wherever possible.
·
Maintaining
urgent, emergent, and acute care and using telehealth options, when applicable.
·
Promoting
use of the Nurse Advice Line for all beneficiaries.
·
In
an effort to maximize social distancing, the USNHO Camp Foster pharmacy has
implemented a curbside service for prescription pick-up. This service is for
renewals, refills, new prescriptions, and emergency contraceptives. To use
curbside pickup, patients have two options: in a vehicle or on foot:
o
To
pick up prescriptions, follow the signs to the south entrance of the hospital,
near the flagpole.
o
For
those without a vehicle, the process is the same but with a separate queue for
pedestrian traffic.
·
Limiting
services at the Walk-in Contraception Clinic (WiSH).
·
Designating
certain rooms specifically for COVID-19 patients.
Q5: What should I do if I feel sick or
think I was exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19?
A5: If you
believe you were potentially exposed to COVID-19, don’t make an appointment or
walk into your local military hospital or clinic please go to the USNHY Flu
Clinic Monday – Friday, 0730 – 1600. This clinic is specifically designed for
individuals with a potential exposure to COVID-19 and a fever, cough, or
difficulty breathing. Or, stay at home and speak with a Military Health System
(MHS) registered nurse via the Nurse Advice Line (1-800-874-2273, option 1),
who will assess your symptoms. The nurse can screen you for potential or
suspected exposure or infection. If needed, they can coordinate a virtual
telephone visit with a health care provider.
Q6: How can I reach a
registered nurse?
A6: There are several ways to reach a registered
nurse:
- Call your military hospital or
clinic primary care team.
- Call your military hospital or
clinic 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 your military hospital or clinic primary
care team.
- As always, if you are experiencing
a medical emergency, contact 911.
Q5. What should I do if I feel sick or
think I was exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19?
A5. If you believe you were potentially exposed
to COVID-19, do NOT come directly to the hospital or branch medical clinic. An
Okinawa-wide COVID Care Line is now available for DoD beneficiaries 24-hours a
day, seven days a week. Patients can call the island-wide number at
098-971-9691 (from on base-646-9691). If unable to get through, patients can
contact the Nurse Advice Line at 012-099-6985 (from Japanese cell phones) or
0066-3382-1820 (Japanese toll-free number). If you are experiencing a medical
emergency, please dial 911 (from off base or cell, dial 098-911-1911).
Q6: How can I reach a
registered nurse?
A6: There are several ways to reach a registered
nurse:
·
Call
your military hospital, clinic primary care team, or your civilian provider.
·
Call
your military hospital, clinic appointment line, or your civilian provider
appointment line.
·
Call
the 24/7 Nurse Advice Line at 012-099-6985 (from Japanese cell phones) or
0066-3382-1820 (Japanese toll free number).
·
Send
a secure message through TRICARE Online Patient Portal to your military
hospital or clinic primary care team.
As always, if you are
experiencing a medical emergency, contact 911 (from off base or cell dial
098-911-1911).