Work Rooms

  • Team 1 - B507

  • Team 2 - A634b (main work room)

  • Team 3 - 634b (main workroom)

  • Team 4 - A839

  • Team 5 - inactive this year

Visitor Restrictions at the VA

The Medical Center is not allowing visitors/general public into our facilities except for those directly assisting or caring for a Veteran to include any end of life care. Directly assisting or caring for a Veteran is defined as:

  • A single individual responsible for transporting a patient coming for a procedure or being discharged from the hospital.

  • A single designated partner or primary caretaker.

  • End-of-life situations.

Testing & Specimen collection

ALL INPATIENTS AT THE VA ARE NOW BEING TESTED

Steps to test for 2019 Novel Coronavirus:

  1. Inform lab you will be submitting a 2019 Novel Coronavirus specimen soon

  2. If high suspicion for COVID only: order a “URI pathogen PCR” in CPRS

  3. Obtain lab slip for URI pathogen PCR that should print on the patient’s unit (if applicable)

  4. For the actual COVID test, all patients need this filled out: Fill out a miscellaneous lab slip. Can get slip from HUC. Needs patient full name, full social, your name, date, and test (there may be other fields on the form that you need to fill out). For test write “2019 Novel Coronavirus”

  5. Fill out PUI (person under investigation) form

  6. Obtain ONE (and only one! All testing can be done off of one swab now) nasopharyngeal swab. Before entering the room, label swab vial with the following information:

    • Patient’s full name and full social security number

    • Site of specimen (nasopharynx)

    • Date and time

    • Your initials and full name

  7. Place specimen in biohazard bag, place PUI form, miscellaneous lab slip, and URI pathogen PCR slip in the sleeve of the bag

  8. HAND deliver them to lab on 2nd floor

If you have any questions about testing, contact Infection Control (Vocera “Infection Control”) or page the ID fellow on evenings and weekends.

Admissions

  • Discuss with the NOD (back up is Aliecia Hochhausler, MD) prior to accepting transfer or admission

  • There must be a negative pressure single room available for the veteran

  • If there are no such beds available, the veteran will need to be sent elsewhere

PPE

  • Universal surgical masks at the VA

    • Masks are provided daily in a paper bag to each provider

    • New masks are available daily in the Chief Office

  • We have Face Shields available for all teams