At Los Robles, “the safety of patients, staff and community always come first,” says Dr. Gabriella Sherman, Chief Medical Officer at Los Robles Health System. “While we continue to see some COVID-19 cases at Los Robles, our numbers have remained steady.”
As the COVID pandemic continues to evolve, Ventura County has been spared the anticipated surge that has happened elsewhere in California and throughout the U.S.
“We prepared for the worst and were fortunate that the worst did not happen,” says Dr. Sherman. “We’ve been fortunate in Ventura County that our numbers have remained low. We continue to screen all patients, visitors and staff for signs and symptoms of potential COVID to ensure a safe environment for all,” notes Dr. Sherman. “We understand the concerns people may have about coming to a medical facility, but we want to reassure the public that we have rigorous protocols and precautions in place to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff.”
From the moment someone enters the doors at Los Robles to the moment they leave, the goal is to keep them safe—from stringent cleaning to implementation of physical distancing measures, which includes limited visitation policies and universal masking.
During this time, entrance policies at Los Robles have changed, including separate entrances for patients who are at the hospital for scheduled, elective procedures, as well as temperature checks for everyone entering the hospital, including patients, visitors, staff and physicians.
Since the pandemic hit, the biggest challenge “was simply not knowing what to expect,” says Dr. Sherman. “Thankfully, our amazing team of nurses, support staff and physicians worked together to ensure that every single individual that walked into the hospital was taken care of with the high quality and safety in mind.”
She further emphasizes that Los Robles Health System’s safety record speaks for itself having recently been recognized by the Leapfrog Group with an A Safety Rating. Los Robles was the only hospital in Ventura County to receive an A, and has received this honor four times in a row.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization that assigns a Hospital Safety Grade to inform consumers about a hospital’s safety and quality performance. Every six months a letter grade is assigned to all general hospitals across the country, assessing how well the hospital prevents medical errors and other harms to patients. The Leapfrog Group’s goal is to empower consumers to have the information they need to make informed decisions in regard to their health care needs.
Looking toward the future, it is hard to predict if and when a surge will happen.
Nevertheless, Dr. Sherman says that Los Robles has plans in place to handle surges as they maintain a state of continuous readiness.
“As many of you know, Los Robles has handled multiple complex surges in recent years including wildfires and mass casualties. Our team stands ready. We have the supplies we need in terms of PPE and ventilators and our supply chain remains intact,” she says. “If a staff member requires PPE, it is absolutely provided. Supplies are delivered regularly to the hospital and being a part of Hospital Corporation of America helps to ensure that the hospital is adequately equipped.”
“As always, the health and safety of our patients, caregivers and communities is our top priority,” says Dr. Sherman, further adding that it is safe for the community to come to the hospital during COVID-19, and urgent health care needs, including those unrelated to COVID, should not be ignored. “We are here for you and we are well-equipped to handle any health concern you may have.”
“We encourage you to protect yourselves and others; it is imperative you continue to follow the current guidance from the CDC regarding social distancing and hand hygiene,” Dr. Sherman says. “These important infection prevention measures help keep you, and your loved ones, safe. We are committed to protecting the health and safety of the patients we so proudly serve, today and every day.”
COVID has brought the medical community closer together than ever before, she reassures.
“In times of crisis, we find hope and comfort in seeing patients make remarkable recoveries. We are also encouraged by the outpouring of support from our community during this difficult time. We have survived pandemics and public health crises many times and we will get through COVID together.”
Los Robles Regional Medical Center is located at 215 West Janss Road in Thousand Oaks. For more information, visit https://losrobleshospital.com/ or call 805.497.2727.