Patient Restrictions
With an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19, WMC is temporarily restricting visitors and vendors entering our facilities. We stress, there have been no cases of confirmed coronavirus in West Virginia, but based on CDC recommendations, our current restrictions include the following:
INPATIENT PATIENT VISITORS (Floors 4, 5, 7 and 8)
Patients will be limited to one visitor at a time with the exception of Obstetrics which will allow for 2 visitors at a time during normal visiting hours (10 am-8pm).
SKILLED CARE VISITORS (Floors 6)
Due to the potential impact to elderly patients, skilled care visitors will be prohibited in most cases unless medically necessary as directed by the physician or nursing staff.
VENDORS/SALES REPRESENTATIVES
Vendors and sales representatives are not permitted to visit hospital departments except for delivery of supplies for required immediate patient care.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kelli McCoy Contact
March 11, 2020
WMC ISSUES PATIENT GUIDANCE FOR CORONAVIRUS
(Weirton, WV) – Officials from Weirton Medical Center (WMC) released guidance for local patients regarding the coronavirus.
“WMC has not had any confirmed cases of coronavirus and as of Wednesday March 11, there were no confirmed cases in West Virginia,” stated Kelli McCoy, WMC Director of Communications.
“Our physicians are obviously getting a lot of calls from concerned patients but unless you are experiencing a fever or respiratory issues and have traveled internationally or been in direct contact with an identified coronavirus patient, you are not considered to be a suspected COVID-19 patient.”
“For patients who do meet the criteria of fever and/or respiratory problems and international travel, you can call your physician office for direction. The physician office will schedule you for a time to come in for evaluation when you are not in direct contact with other patients.”
McCoy added, “Given the limitations on test availability, physician offices and WMC cannot randomly test patients for coronavirus unless the meet the criteria listed above. In reality, there have been very few patients who actually meet the criteria of symptoms and international travel in our area.”
“Medically stable patients who are not showing active signs of illness should not come to any emergency room just to request coronavirus testing. We are still in an active flu season and there is a risk for all hospitals that patients who are not actively ill could overwhelm emergency room resources and delay care for patients who are truly emergent, such as cardiac arrests or stroke patients.”
McCoy ended, “Talk to your doctor’s office and in most cases, you will be advised to stay home, rest and drink fluids unless your condition changes.”
Also known as ultrasonography or sonography, ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves that are translated into images. Most people are familiar with using ultrasound for prenatal care and to observe the fetus as it develops. This is solid proof that ultrasounds are safe. There are other types of ultrasound, and in fact, let’s look at the 6 common types of ultrasound and how they are used.
One can hardly pick up a frozen dinner, boxed cereal, or any prepackaged food and not notice the “Heart Healthy” label splashed all over the item. Relying on these marketing ploys alone will likely NOT provide much that is truly heart healthy.
You don’t have to scrupulously count calories or become obsessive about your diet to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. Here are 5 practical ways to make heart health an everyday thing.
Residents of the Weirton area will have greater access to WVU Medicine specialists and subspecialists through a new clinical program collaboration agreement with Weirton Medical Center (WMC) that will begin with stroke specialists from the WVU Stroke Center providing telestroke services to patients at the Northern Panhandle hospital.
Regardless of how seemingly minor or serious a particular upcoming surgery may be, it’s normal to be a little anxious. You can allay some of your fears and set yourself up for a successful outcome by doing your homework ahead of time and using these 7 strategies to prepare for surgery.
Sadness, worry, and fear are just some of the emotions that engulf a person who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. It is easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed when you hear those dreaded words, which is why the team at Weirton Medical Center has compiled a list of 5 immediate to-dos that can help you move forward and face the challenges ahead.
Many of us have had the experience of feeling lightheaded when getting up from a sitting position too quickly or maybe after skipping breakfast or lunch. Usually it passes quickly, and we forget about it. Feeling lightheaded may be nothing serious, but let’s look at these 6 frequent causes, and when you should be concerned.
Do you wake up every morning thinking about preventing breast cancer in your everyday life? We seriously doubt it, but if you are someone with a higher risk for breast cancer due to your family or your age, maybe you should consider paying more attention to preventative strategies. There are some simple and specific changes you can make to help lower your risk for breast cancer.
Many women prefer to paint their fingernails in a rainbow of different colors, but what is hiding beneath the colorful polish could be informative. Carefully observe your nails between your next manicure to learn how your fingernails can show signs of disease.
