Wichita hospitals use cautious measures with staff who test positive for COVID-19
Major hospitals in Wichita are not allowing staff who test positive for COVID-19 to work, spokespersons confirmed.
This comes as hospitals across the nation face severe staffing shortages. Some hospitals reported they will allow staff with COVID to work if they have mild symptoms, but that’s not the case in Wichita.
Wesley is requiring workers who test positive for COVID-19 to quarantine for five days, said Dave Stewart, director of marketing and public relations for Wesley.
After those five days, the worker will undergo an assessment to see if they are still experiencing symptoms. If they are not, they can return to work but will be required to wear an N-95 mask for five more days.
“All together you’re looking at a total of 10 days of precautionary measures,” Stewart says.
At Ascension Via Christi, employees who test positive for COVID-19 will not be able to work and will be asked to quarantine, said Roz Hutchinson, director of communications and public relations for Ascension Via Christi.
Ascension is ‘following state and federal guidelines in allowing associates quarantined with COVID-19 to return to work,” said Kevin Strecker, chief operating officer and hospital president for Ascension Via Christi.
The CDC’s guidelines for healthcare personnel says they may return to work after seven days if a negative test comes back 48 hours prior to returning to work.
The guidelines also say healthcare personnel must go 24 hours without symptoms and without the use of fever-reducing medicine.
“We have the most patients hospitalized with COVID-19 than we have had throughout the pandemic, both system wide and in Wichita,” Strecker said in an email.
“We also have a record number of associates system wide out ill, with the vast majority for COVID-19. So it clearly is creating a hardship that we need the community’s help to address,” he added.