Chino Valley Medical Center to Resume Non-Emergency Procedures in Accordance with State, Local Guidelines

Chino, Calif., May 13, 2020 – Following newly released COVID-19 guidelines announced by state and local health officials, Chino Valley Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, has begun scheduling elective surgeries and procedures.

Cheryl Gilliatt, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer of Chino Valley Medical Center said a careful and structured move toward restarting clinical care operations and procedures has begun in order to address the needs of the community and expand access to medical and surgical care. The hospital is following guidelines and a roadmap that were established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, and the American Hospital Association.

“The hospital will be carefully monitoring the virus’s ongoing impact to the community and will maintain its ability to properly respond to the coronavirus as we begin serving patients with the essential care they need,” said Cheryl Gilliatt. “We want to assure our patients and community that we are implementing best practices and will do everything we can to keep them safe.”

As a precaution, patients will be screened for COVID-19 prior to surgery. Steps are taken to minimize risks and make arrangements such that COVID-19 patients are isolated from non-COVID-19 patients. New policies have been developed and will be reevaluated and reassessed as needed.

Due to the ongoing concern of Coronavirus (COVID-19), surgery patients are not permitted visitors to the hospital to accompany them at this time. We believe this will not only better protect our patients, but our community and of course, our staff.

Tim Moran, Chief Executive Officer of Chino Valley Medical Center, said patient safety remains the highest priority at the hospital and that supplies of personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns, and gloves are more than adequate to treat both COVID-19 patients and those undergoing important elective procedures and surgeries.

“Resuming these important services is essential to our mission of providing quality, community healthcare,” said Tim Moran. “As a community hospital, Chino Valley Medical Center remains committed to conserving critical supplies, being vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and its evolving impact, and ensuring that our facility is a safe place for all patients, providers, and staff,” said Tim Moran.

In addition, stay-at-home orders issued by public health agencies make exceptions for those in need of other emergency medical treatments, and the hospital’s Emergency Department remains open for all those seeking emergency care. Following physical distancing guidelines for COVID-19 does not mean ignoring the signs or symptoms of other medical emergencies.

“Those experiencing signs of a heart attack or stroke, for instance, such as difficulty breathing or sudden muscle weakness, should still call 911 or visit the emergency room immediately,” said Dr. Jose Diaz, Emergency Department Medical Director of Chino Valley Medical Center. “We are well prepared to handle non-COVID emergencies as well as able to deal with an influx of potential COVID-19 cases, and are following state, local, and federal guidelines to safeguard our staff and other patients from exposure.”

Chino Valley Medical Center is nationally recognized for several awards for its services including Healthgrades Five-Star for Hip Fracture Treatment, Gallbladder Surgery, Treatment of Heart failure, and Appendectomy; Healthgrades Excellence Award since 2015; Nation’s Top 100 Hospitals, Geriatric Emergency Department from the American College of Emergency Physicians; and Five-Star Quality Rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

About Chino Valley Medical Center

A member of Prime Healthcare, Chino Valley Medical Center is a 112-bed community hospital established in 1972 and centrally located in Southern California’s Chino Valley. A five-time recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award (2014-2018), Chino Valley Medical Center has been recognized nationally for its quality, including as among the 100 Great Community Hospitals by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2018 and as among the 100 Top Hospitals by IBM Watson Health. Chino Valley Medical Center is committed to serving the community’s health care needs with top-rated emergency care as well as senior services, orthopedics, surgical services, and more. Learn more at www.cvmc.com.