'Don't Put Off Medical Care,' Southwest General Leader Says

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, OH — Despite the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southwest General Hospital is still offering everyday care to patients.

The hospital's CEO and President William A. Young, Jr., penned a letter to the community this week, urging patients to continue visiting the hospital for routine and preventative care. He said Southwest is still focused on patient safety and care.

Young also highlighted his hospital's development and use of telehealth services, whether via computer or phone. Here's Young's full letter to the community.

One hundred years ago, during the influenza pandemic of 1918, the foundation of what has become Southwest General Health Center was established. Today, we find ourselves fighting a new pandemic impacting our communities, the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. However, despite the new challenges of the current COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority continues to be the same—the safety and well-being of all our community members.

We understand that you might be feeling apprehensive about visiting the Health Center in the midst of this ongoing pandemic. Is it safe? Should I go to my doctor’s appointment? These are reasonable questions to ask, but putting off your medical care is not the answer, particularly if you are faced with a medical emergency.

Since the onset of the pandemic, safety has been our first concern in providing the care you need. We closely monitor and implement guidelines presented by the Centers for Disease Control and the state of Ohio. Also, we have enacted visitor restrictions to limit the number of people entering our facilities with the intention of minimizing the spread of the virus.

We continue to find innovative ways to care for our patients. For example, we offer Telehealth Services—online video visits and phone calls—so, when appropriate, you can receive care from the comfort of home or anywhere via a mobile device.

Additionally, we continue to enhance and add new services. We launched additional molecular and cellular-based COVID-19 testing platforms in our Laboratory Center, and introduced the new Southwest General Healthy at Home program. This program helps COVID-19 patients receive the care they need to continue recuperating in the comfort of their own home.

Please know that we are doing everything we can to help ensure that our patients, visitors and staff remain safe. From our emergency services and physician visits to outpatient procedures, we are here for you, today. We encourage you to visit us at swgeneral.com/COVID-19 for more information and to learn more about the steps we are taking to keep you and your loved ones healthy during this unprecedented time.

Stay safe. Stay Well.