Fulton County COVID-19 Update

Fulton County Health Center is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and working with the Fulton County Health Department, Ohio Department of Health, and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  If you think you are exhibiting symptoms associated with Coronavirus (COVID-19) (fever, cough and shortness of breath), please call your primary care provider. If you do not have a primary care provider you may call  the Fulton County Health Department at 419-337-0915 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM. If you have questions regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), please call the Ohio Department of Health’s phone line that they have setup for questions at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).    To find out more about COVID testing at FCHC, click on the COVID Testing tab under FCHC Information below.

  • For information on how to register for the COVID-19 vaccine, click here.

COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

The CDC recommends that people who suspect they may have COVID-19 stay home and call their doctors in non-emergency situations. It’s important to follow these instructions to enable doctors to take care of you and to keep others from being exposed. If you’re not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can most likely recover at home. If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19, seek medical attention immediately. The CDC states that some emergency warning signs* for COVID-19 include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

  • In the air by coughing and sneezing
  • Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
  • Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
  • Rarely, fecal contamination

There are currently three vaccines approved by the CDC.  Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself from severe disease.  The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides guidelines in helping you to protect yourself and others during these times.  Below is information from the CDC website updated on 9-11-20 on how to protect yourself and others:

How to Protect Yourself & Others

Know how it spreads

  • Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from severe disease.
  • The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
  • The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person.
    • Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
    • Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.
    • These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
    • Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

Everyone Should

Wash your hands often

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • It’s especially important to wash:
    • Before eating or preparing food
    • Before touching your face
    • After using the restroom
    • After leaving a public place
    • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
    • After handling your mask
    • After changing a diaper
    • After caring for someone sick
    • After touching animals or pets
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact

Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when around others

  • You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.
  • The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
  • Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
    • Masks should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
  • Do NOT use a mask meant for a healthcare worker. Currently, surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.
  • Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The mask is not a substitute for social distancing.

Cover coughs and sneezes

  • Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow and do not spit.
  • Throw used tissues in the trash.
  • Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Clean and disinfect

Monitor Your Health Daily

  • Be alert for symptoms. Watch for fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms of COVID-19.
  • Take your temperature if symptoms develop.
    • Don’t take your temperature within 30 minutes of exercising or after taking medications that could lower your temperature, like acetaminophen.
  • Follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.

Protect Your Health This Flu Season

It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both spread this fall and winter. Healthcare systems could be overwhelmed treating both patients with flu and patients with COVID-19. This means getting a flu vaccine during 2020-2021 is more important than ever.

While getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19 there are many important benefits, such as:

  1. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death.
  2. Getting a flu vaccine can also save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19

For more information visit the CDC website at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

For general questions regarding COVID-19, please call 1.833.4ASKODH (1.833.427.5634)

The CDC recommends that people who suspect they may have COVID-19 stay home and call their doctors in non-emergency situations. It’s important to follow these instructions to enable doctors to take care of you and to keep others from being exposed. If you’re not sick enough to be hospitalized, you can most likely recover at home. If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19, seek medical attention immediately. The CDC states that some emergency warning signs* for COVID-19 include:

  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

*This list is not all-inclusive. Please consult your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning.

  • At least three days (72hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever of 100.4° without the use of fever reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g. cough shortness of breath: and
  • At least 7 days have passed since symptoms have first appeared.

In most cases, you should keep your regular appointments. It is still safe for patients to receive care with our primary care providers, and we are shifting as many appointment times as possible to reduce exposure to our patients and our care teams. Some non-urgent visits and procedures may be delayed until the outbreak has subsided. If you are worried, please contact your care team to discuss your concerns. If you have a previously scheduled appointment and have developed a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, please contact the office before coming to your appointment.

As COVID-19 cases rise and reach Fulton County, we want to clear up any confusion on testing.

  • DO NOT go to the hospital, urgent care, or emergency room if you think you have COVID-19.
  • Call your healthcare provider if you have a fever and/or symptoms of respiratory illness, like coughing and difficulty breathing. They will determine if you should be tested.
  • You cannot request a test at this time. A medical professional must order a test for you IF you meet the criteria.
  • If a medical professional orders a test for you, you will receive test site location information.
  • Testing for COVID0-19 is done through a swab in your nose.

To prevent exposure to others, individuals who are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath and/or have had contact with someone suspected of having COVID-19 are encouraged to call the Ohio Department of Health specific COVID-19 phone line at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

Coronavirus.ohio.gov

CDC.gov

ODH.ohio.gov

fultoncountyhealthdept.com/

Updates will be added when they come in.

FCHC Information

FCHC Visiting Policy:

To provide a safe and also a supportive environment, FCHC has developed these Visitors Guidelines to provide a safe and supportive environment for those who are at our facility which is as follows:

Restricted Visiting Policy:

Fulton Manor Visitation Guidelines: updated 6/15/2023

Fulton Manor has no visitor restrictions at this time.

Fulton County Health Center Main Facility Guidelines:  

  • Avoid visiting if having respiratory symptoms of COVID-19, been recently in close contact with someone that has COVID-19, or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 10 days.
  • Wash or sanitize hands often and must be done before leaving patient rooms
  • Limit touching multiple surfaces in the patient room.
  • For those that cannot visit a loved one, ipad technology is available for communication, ask your primary nurse or nursing supervisor if assistance is needed.

EXCEPTIONS TO THESE GUIDELINES

A patient’s care team may make recommendations for exceptions to the FCHC visitation guidelines for circumstances where the guidelines have an impact on the quality of patient care. When appropriate, these circumstances would be approved through the Chief Nursing Officer. Families should discuss concerns with a member of the patient’s care team or House Supervisor.

FCHC Visiting Policy and Entrance Guidelines:

To provide a safe and also a supportive environment, FCHC has developed these Visitors Guidelines to provide a safe and supportive environment for those who are at our facility which is as follows:

Restricted Visiting Policy:

Fulton Manor Visitation Guidelines: updated 6/15/2023

Fulton Manor has no visitor restrictions at this time.

Fulton County Health Center Main Facility Guidelines:  

  • Avoid visiting if having respiratory symptoms of COVID-19, been recently in close contact with someone that has COVID-19, or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 10 days.
  • Wash or sanitize hands often and must be done before leaving patient rooms
  • Limit touching multiple surfaces in the patient room.
  • For those that cannot visit a loved one, iPad technology is available for communication, ask your primary nurse or nursing supervisor if assistance is needed.

EXCEPTIONS TO THESE GUIDELINES

A patient’s care team may make recommendations for exceptions to the FCHC visitation guidelines for circumstances where the guidelines have an impact on the quality of patient care. When appropriate, these circumstances would be approved through the Chief Nursing Officer. Families should discuss concerns with a member of the patient’s care team or House Supervisor.

FCHC Entrance Guidelines:

Due to decreased activity overall with COVID-19 across the country, Fulton County Health Center is making changes to our overall entrance restrictions we have had since the beginning of the Pandemic.

Below are the changes:

  • Fulton County Health Center will no longer provide active screening for anyone entering the hospital (Main Entrance);
    • Please avoid visiting if having symptoms of COVID-19, recently exposed or tested positive, unless needing to be seen or treated.
    • Masks are no longer required at our facilities
  • Entry door by Oncology will be open for Oncology patients to enter.
  • The ambulatory Emergency Department/Surgery entrance is open for anyone needing to enter the hospital, heading to the Surgery Department, or the Emergency Department.

FCHC’s volunteer services, which aid in a variety of areas, is only available in a limited capacity at this time.

Information

At Fulton County Health Center, our Health Information Department is available to assist in obtaining your medical records done at Fulton County Health Center.  We can also assist patients with our Patient Portal.  The Patient Portal is a new way patients can access records at any time once setup and the ability to download medical records for future needs.

Contact Information

Correspondence Clerk Direct Line:  419-330-2662

Correspondence Email:  [email protected]

Fax:   419-337-7324 or 419-330-2616

Director Kim Cushman Direct Line:  419-330-2784

Patient Portal Support Line:  419-337-7469

Email Patient Portal: [email protected]

 Obtaining Medical Records

Your health information records are important to keep both you and your medical providers up-to-date on your health status.  Stay informed about patient privacy and how to request your medical records.

How to obtain a printed copy:

  1. Complete the FCHC Authorization to Release Patient Information form.  This authorization will allow us to release your medical records to you and/or recipient you name. Click on Health Information – Release of Information to obtain form.
  2. You can fax your completed form to the Health Information Department at 419-337-7324 or 419-330-2616 or you can return the form in person to Fulton County Health Center Health Information Department located on the first floor of the hospital.
  3. There may be a charge for medical record copies.
  4. Be sure to bring your photo ID when you pick up your medical records.
  5. Records may be mailed to your home or to another named recipient you have authorized to receive your medical records.  Prepayment may be required when applicable.
  6. Our FCHC Patient Portal also has limited medical information such as lab results, testing results, etc. that you can view online.  To go to our patient portal click here.

Our Hours

Health Information Hours:  Correspondence Window will be open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday 8:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Our Patient Portal Support Line at 419-337-7469  is available weekdays only: Monday – Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

FCHC COVID Testing Information

Basic Info:

Testing is only one component of response to COVID-19.  The role of testing is to quickly identify an individual infected with COVID-19, promptly isolate them and trace and quarantine any contacts to minimize the spread of the virus to other.  TESTING DOES NOT CHANGE TREATMENT IN ANY WAY, nor does it replace comprehensive infection control and prevention activities.

FCHC Can:

Conduct COVID testing for symptomatic people with a provider order and only by appointment.

 If you don’t have a provider/doctor:

  • You can go to FCHC web site and search ‘Find-A-Physician’ to see all our locations and physicians to make an appointment.
  • You may call  the Fulton County Health Department at 419-337-0915 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

If you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms:

  • Please contact your provider if you are experiencing COVID symptoms.
  • If you need emergent assistance you can visit the FCHC Urgent Care or the Emergency Room where you will be evaluated. If you are severely sick, please consider calling 911.

Testing at FCHC is based on Ohio priorities 1-3 (out of 5) which include:

  • Priority 1: (all require a physician order and pre-appointment)
    • Hospitalized patients with symptoms
    • Health Care workers with Symptoms
  • Priority 2: (all require a physician order and pre-appointment)
    • Outpatient symptomatic individuals
    • Residents and staff of nursing homes (congregate living settings) who are symptomatic or exposed to COVID-19
  • Priority 3: (all require a physician order and pre-appointment)
    • Individuals receiving essential and non-essential surgeries and procedures based on screening criteria with a provider order.

We are NOT currently testing schools, sports teams, or other programs requiring testing for well individuals.

 Process for testing:

  1. Call or see your Provider if you have COVID symptoms. You may be seen in office and depending on provider, location and your symptoms you may be tested in the office or referred to FCHC hospital testing.

For Hospital testing:

  1. Provider faxes order to FCHC Lab.
  2. Registration will call the individual to pre-register over the phone.
  3. Registration will Transfer call to scheduler who will schedule the COVID test and provide further instructions.
  4. The Provider will notify the individual of results or check the patient portal.

For more information:

  • If you have questions regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), please call the Ohio Department of Health’s phone line that they have setup for questions at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634)
  • Visit Fulton County Health Department website for a variety of information on COVID-19 at http://fultoncountyhealthdept.com/
  • Please visit our Website for more information on FCHC urgent care hours and other COVID related information.

Updated: 8-11-2020