As shelter-in-place orders are lifted and businesses begin to reopen across west Georgia and east Alabama, Tanner Health System is on its own path to resume normal operations at its five hospitals and more than 40 Tanner Medical Group practice locations – while adapting to a new normal and with infection prevention always top-of-mind. 

Urgent elective surgeries and imaging at Tanner hospitals and routine appointments at Tanner Medical Group practices are back on the calendar. Procedures are being triaged based on physician recommendations. 

“We realize that some patients may have concerns about infection risk,” said Laura Larson, MD, an infectious disease specialist who leads infection prevention activities across the Tanner system. “At Tanner, we know how to care for patients while managing the risk of infection. Infection prevention is our specialty and what we do every day, and with every patient. The safety of our patients, staff and visitors will always be our priority.” 

While responding to the COVID-19 crisis and caring for patients with the virus, Tanner also worked to ensure accessibility to care for all health conditions and concerns during a time when face-to-face care was discouraged due to concerns about disease spread. These offerings, such as telehealth, will continue as normal operations resume. 

Tanner’s telehealth services allow patients to schedule virtual appointments with Tanner Medical Group and Willowbrooke at Tanner clinicians using a laptop or mobile device. Tanner’s Care Your Way allows patients to work with their provider to determine whether a telehealth visit or an in-person appointment at an emergency department or Tanner Urgent Care will best meet their needs. 

Some of the ways Tanner is continuing to provide care for patients across the system while ensuring infection prevention, including:  

• appropriate use of telehealth visits and in-person appointments; 
• pre-screening of Tanner Medical Group patients before appointments for symptoms and potential COVID-19 exposure; 
• required facial coverings for everyone – medical staff, patients, visitors – while in hospitals and Tanner Medical Group practices; 
• hand sanitizing stations at all entries, exits and other critical areas within hospitals and Tanner Medical Group practices; 
• social distance accommodations during patient flow, including appointment scheduling;
• rigorous and frequent cleaning and sanitizing of Tanner facilities, equipment and surfaces throughout the system, including a robot utilizing ultraviolet light; 
• personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand hygiene protocols, established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for all healthcare staff; 
•  continued visitor restriction in all five hospitals; and
• daily monitoring of all healthcare staff for illness.

“Our top priority has been ensuring our community’s health throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “I’m proud of how Tanner and the community has come together to help our neighbors and loved ones. We’ll continue to need the community’s support going forward. We look forward to welcoming our patients back, and we’re committed to doing everything possible to ensure their safety as we work toward their wellness.”  

For more information on how Tanner is returning to normal operations, including Tanner care options and ongoing response to the COVID-19 health care crisis, visit tanner.org. 

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Tanner Health System’s hospitals and clinics — including Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton, the organization’s flagship facility — are preparing to resume normal operations and help the community recover from the COVID-19 crisis.