Keller Army Community Hospital update on Coronavirus

By CourtesyMarch 18, 2020

By Robert Lanier

Keller Army Community Hospital Public Affairs Specialist

As most of you are aware, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak on Jan. 30. Subsequently, our national, state and local community leaders announced a PHE as the virus continued to spread across the United States.

Although there are no known cases of COVID-19 on West Point, as of March 17 there were 18 confirmed cases in Orange County and confirmed cases in neighboring counties.

The Keller staff has been working diligently with the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Army Garrison West Point, West Point Public Health and the Orange County Public Health Department on a local COVID-19 response. Keller’s Emergency Operations Center is activated in an effort to implement measures to protect the community and our hospital employees.

Important information for Keller beneficiaries and the West Point community:

All appointments remain as scheduled. If you are sick and have a scheduled appointment, please ‘stay home’ and call the appointment line to re-schedule your appointment.

Beneficiaries will be pre-screened, by the appointment center, when they call for an appointment. If identified as high-risk, the beneficiary will be directed to stay at home. A Keller Public Health Nurse will contact them and provide further instructions.

High-risk patients will be screened outside of Keller’s emergency room’s side entrance.

There are signs posted at every Keller entrance directing high-risk patients not to enter the hospital and report to the screening station located at the side entrance of the emergency room.

Anyone entering the Keller dining facility will be required to use hand sanitizer before entering.

All clinics and the pharmacy are enforcing social distancing by limiting seating options to a 6-foot radius. In addition, the first floor conference room is now designated as the laboratory and pharmacy waiting area for patients with upper respiratory illnesses.

If you have questions about the Coronavirus, you can call the Army Medical Command COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-984-8523. This line is staffed 24 hours/day, 7 days/week by a representative who can answer COVID-19 questions.

Updates from Keller will be posted on the Keller Facebook page, the U.S. Military Academy’s Coronavirus Guidance page at https://www.westpoint.edu/coronavirus, and cross-posted on West Point-oriented Facebook pages.