“Many patients are hesitant to enter our facilities for their appointments. The hospital and its facilities are safe to come to should you or your loved ones need care,” UP Health System – Portage CEO Ed Freysinger said. “We want to remind the community not to put your health on hold during COVID-19, and that we have procedures in place to protect the safety of our patients, staff, and visitors.”

While COVID-19 has made many of us rethink how we sanitize surfaces, this has always been a constant focus for hospitals. Staff at UPHS – Portage uses EPA-approved disinfectant on all surfaces at least once daily, and high traffic areas are cleaned multiple times per day. The hospital also employs filtration systems to prevent airborne contamination.

“Our hospital is clean and safe – just like it always has been,” UPHS – Portage Director of Quality and Infection Prevention Casey Baird said. “One of the core elements of managing any infectious disease is the cleanliness of our facility, and we have added some additional measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19.”

Some additional precautions to reduce the spread of illness include their universal masking policy. Patients and visitors that don’t have a mask when entering the facility will be issued one to wear during their visit. All of their staff members, in every department, are also required to wear masks.

Image provided by UPHS – Portage A view of the entrance to UP Health System — Portage in Hancock.

Staff also ask visitors a series of questions at each entrance to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of the rest of the hospital and staff.

“We continue to screen every individual who enters the facility with screening questions based on the State of Michigan and CDC guidelines,” Baird said. “This, layered with our universal masking policy, provides protection for everyone in our facilities.”

UPHS – Portage utilizes negative air pressure isolation rooms in a dedicated area of the hospital for any patients suspected of contagious disease, including COVID-19. These patients are also seen by care providers and staff who spend their entire shifts, including breaks and meals, in that dedicated portion of the hospital to eliminate the need to travel throughout the facility.

Prioritizing the health of you and your loved ones is important year-round, and patients should not delay seeking out the appropriate level of care.

“Patients are encouraged to continue to receive their routine medical care, to call and come in when they feel that they need to be seen by a medical provider, and to not put their health on hold,” said Freysinger.

For more information about UPHS – Portage or to make an appointment, call 906-483-1000 or visit PortageHealth.org.

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