The tents installed outside UM Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown and the emergency departments at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton may soon be in use for patient assessment, Dr. Walter Atha, regional director, Emergency Medicine for UM Shore Regional Health has announced.
According to Dr. Atha, depending on patient volumes at each of the four locations, patients presenting for emergency care may be directed to the tents, where they will be evaluated by UM Shore Medical Group providers.
“Care provided in the tents does not include testing for COVID-19, as UM SRH is not designated as an outpatient testing site,” says Dr. Atha. “Our intended purpose for these tents is to reduce the possibility of exposure to COVID-19 among patients and their attending family members as well as our staff.”
Dr. Atha further recommends that anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms should first contact his or her primary care provider; if the provider indicates that immediate evaluation is needed, go to the nearest emergency department. “Staying home, practicing social distancing, wearing a mask if you must go out, and washing your hands frequently remain the best strategies for maintaining your own health and that of your loved ones, and for reducing community spread,” he says.
For more information about UM Shore Regional Health’s response to COVID-19, visit umms.org/shore/coronavirus.
As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.
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