As I write this, events related to the COVID-19 outbreak are evolving rapidly. The one constant is that Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital is committed to caring for our community. As your healthcare provider, we believe it’s our duty to not only take care of our patients and their families, but also be a source of reliable information for our community. We encourage you to visit henrymayo.com or our Facebook page regularly for up-to-date information.
On our website you can also find the latest information on our visitor policies and other hospital-related information. We will always take whatever steps are necessary to keep our patients, visitors and staff safe.
It bears repeating the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. Contact your primary care physician first if you are experiencing these symptoms, particularly if you have traveled internationally recently, or if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. If your condition requires treatment in a hospital setting then your physician will refer you to Henry Mayo, in which case we are well-prepared to provide you with the highest level of care. Of course as always, if you are experiencing severe symptoms of any kind please call 9-1-1 immediately.
As a reminder, the best prevention you can take includes: washing your hands frequently with warm water and soap; use hand sanitizer if out; cough into your elbow or a tissue; follow shelter-in-place recommendations from government authorities; and please don’t go out at all, if you’re sick.
Finally, it’s been incredibly inspiring to see the many acts of generosity and selflessness by those in our community. We recently held a blood drive at Henry Mayo, right after the American Red Cross put out an urgent appeal for blood. Due to such an overwhelming response, the Red Cross was not able to accommodate all potential donors. As of this writing, further blood drives are scheduled.
We’ve also received many offers of donated goods and services. We are very grateful and touched by our community’s generous spirit. To learn about other ways to support our not-for-profit hospital, please visit henrymayo.com/support-henry-mayo. Thank you.
It is our honor and privilege to serve the Santa Clarita Valley.
Patrick Moody is the director of marketing and public relations at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital. For more information about local community health programs, visit HenryMayo.com. ν
