San Andreas, CA…“The safety of our visitors, patients, employees, and physicians remains our highest priority. We want to assure the community that MTMC is closely monitoring all developments with COVID-19 and we are prepared to identify, isolate, and treat any potential patient who seeks care at our facility. We are in contact with local and state health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our staff is following the latest guidance from these public health agencies.

MTMC has the supplies and equipment needed to effectively manage the care of any suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients and we are continuously assessing the volume of supplies at our hospital.

We also continue to update the way we identify patients who may have COVID-19 as changes are made to the case definition. We have a screening tool and algorithms as part of our electronic health record system that help clinicians evaluate patients who may have the virus, and we are asking those visiting our facilities if they are experiencing any symptoms consistent with infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Additionally, communication with our employees and physicians is of the utmost importance and we have implemented added trainings for our employees and regularly conduct exercises for clinicians and staff on the correct procedures for using personal protection equipment while treating patients who may have COVID-19.

We will continue to adjust our approach to make sure we are as prepared as possible to treat cases in our community.”

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About Mark Twain Medical Center
Founded in 1951, Mark Twain Medical Center is a 25-bed, critical access hospital providing inpatient acute care, outpatient services and emergency services. The Medical Center’s Medical Staff represents a broad range of specialties that ensure access to high quality medical care in a rural community. In addition to being a major provider of health services, Mark Twain Medical Center is also one of the area’s largest employers. More than 300 people are employed at the hospital and its five Family Medical Centers. The Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health and a part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the nation dedicated to advancing health for all and serving communities in 21 states. For more information, please visit our website at www.marktwainmedicalcenter.org. Mark Twain Medical Center is also on Facebook.