Updated September 10, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to resuming care for members in all of our medical centers in the coming weeks, and we’re taking a number of steps to create a safe environment for your return. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by staff at the entrance of the medical center for prescreening. All members, visitors, and employees must wear a face mask upon entering the medical center and for the duration of their visit to the medical center.
We’ve established rigorous procedures to disinfect our facilities and prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes thoroughly sanitizing all surfaces in the pharmacy, laboratory, radiology department, and all reception desks and waiting rooms.
Frequently touched areas such as door handles, elevator buttons, waiting room chairs, wheelchairs, handrails, trash receptacles, soap dispensers, and ledges are regularly disinfected. Signs and floor markers will help you safely follow physical distancing guidelines.
While we have always kept patients safe in our facilities, you can expect the in-person experience to feel different from your experience before the COVID-19 crisis began.
How are we keeping you safe in our medical centers?
- Updated our visitor policy – No visitors or additional family members are allowed at this time. Only patients under 18 or those who require physical assistance* may bring one adult with them. Patients are welcome to use their cell phone while with their doctor/provider to have a caregiver or other family member/friend participate in the appointment
- Require masks be worn at all times in our medical centers (this includes physicians, staff, patients and visitors ages 2 and up).
- Ask members who develop COVID-19 symptoms to call Member Services at 1-800-777-7904 (TTY 711) or use kp.org to complete a COVID e-visit or schedule a video visit before coming for an in-person visit.
- Have greeters at the entrances of our medical centers to welcome and prescreen everyone who enters. This will enable us to immediately care for those we believe may have COVID-19 before they encounter other patients in the center.
- Equip our physicians, nurses, and health care staff with the appropriate safety gear to protect themselves and members.
- Have placed hand sanitizing stations throughout each medical center. As always, our doctors, nurses, and other medical staff sanitize or wash their hands before and after interacting with patients.
- Continually clean and disinfect all surfaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- Added signage and wayfinding arrows to help members, visitors, and employees adhere to physical distancing.
- Built physical barriers — Plexiglas bio-shields — when six feet of space between patients is not possible.
Our priority is making sure that you get the care you need while staying safe when you return for services in our medical centers. For more information on our approach to COVID-19, visit kp.org/coronavirus.
*Patients who may need assistance include those who have physical, sensory, intellectual, developmental disabilities and/or cognitive impairments.
