On behalf of the 94 member hospitals we represent, the Nebraska Hospital Association is issuing the following statement regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic.
We are nearing a crisis point in our healthcare facilities, which may have dire consequences in terms of not being able to deliver the quality patient care we’ve all come to expect. All Nebraska hospitals and healthcare systems stand united in our policies and interventions in order to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. It is critically imperative that every Nebraskan join with us in taking the necessary steps to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.
Our hospitals and healthcare facilities will continue to require all staff, patients, and visitors to follow public safety protocols, including wearing masks, screening upon entry to our facilities and limitation of visitors.
To help us in this effort, we ask that EVERY citizen follow these important preventative guidelines:
- wear a mask;
- stay at least 6 feet apart;
- wash your hands frequently and
- avoid the 3 Cs (crowded places, close contacts and confined spaces).
COVID-19 continues to spread in our communities at record rates and if we do not follow the preventative measures as outlined by the Governor and our public health experts, cases will continue to spike and hospitalizations will very soon overwhelm our facilities. It’s incumbent on every Nebraskan to heed this warning and do everything possible to help prevent this crisis from worsening.
In addition, we continue to hear stories about our residents not cooperating with public health officials as they work to contact trace this disease in an effort to control the ongoing spread. The work of our health care professionals is vital if we are to contain and eventually squelch COVID-19. We urge everyone to cooperate fully with any contract tracing calls you may receive.
As we enter the holiday season, it’s even more important to take aforementioned preventative steps now. We need to take action now to protect our elderly, individuals with compromised immune systems and our health care heroes who are on the front lines of this public health crisis.
Nebraskans, let’s pull together and put an end to COVID-19. We’re in this together.
Respectfully,
Laura J. Redoutey, FACHE, President
Nebraska Hospital Association
Lincoln, Nebraska