AMEA members! COVID-19 info from Kaiser

Dear AMEA member,

You’re likely hearing some concerns from your coworkers related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. To help you anticipate and answer questions from Kaiser Permanente members, we want to share how Kaiser is preparing for and responding to this virus.

Public health and infectious disease experts are working closely with federal, state, and local officials to implement a robust monitoring and planning process for coronavirus. Their insights are helping us diagnose and provide care for patients who are being screened for, or are confirmed to have, the virus. 

Below is an overview from Kaiser about what they are doing to help ensure our members have the right information and know how to access the right care.

• Keeping our members informed: We’re keeping our public website updated, posting communications at our medical facilities, and sending informational flyers to our members to help them prepare. These materials include evidence-based best practices for prevention, as well as facts about the virus itself. We’re also making sure our members know it’s easy to get care and advice through our established telehealth options — including phone, email, and video — without an in-person visit.

• Ensuring access to care: Kaiser Permanente has a business continuity plan and pandemic policy in place. We’ve opened a national command center to prepare our staff and facilities for potentially large numbers of members who may become ill or are concerned they might be ill.

• Understanding the risk: This is a rapidly evolving situation and we are monitoring the reports from CDC and other health agencies to guide our understanding of the spread of COVID-19.  We are aware of community transmission in certain parts of the country, and are actively taking steps to support our members and communities.

• Relying on experts and best practices: Kaiser Permanente has confronted highly infectious diseases for years, and we’re confident we can safely treat patients who’ve been infected with this virus, with limited risk to other patients, members, and employees. Staff at all our medical centers regularly drill using various disaster scenarios, including detection of infectious diseases, and have practiced — and are following — CDC protocols to be used with the coronavirus.

• Partnering with the National Institutes of Health: The National Institutes of Health has selected the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute to launch the first clinical trial of an experimental coronavirus vaccine.

If you want to be proactive in sharing information with coworker, we’ve attached an informational flyer that’s geared toward Kaiser Permanente members. If you have any questions, visit kp.org. We also recommend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov for the most up-to-date health advisories and global coronavirus information.

Publication Date: March 13, 2020