The personal safety of our patients and our staff is a primary focus for everyone at Northwestern Medical Center. Our actions and our outcomes relating to preventing the transmission of COVID-19 support that commitment.

NMC’s emphasis on proper cleaning of our facility; the use of proper personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, etc.; and our patients’ cooperation with wearing face coverings have combined to mean that to date NMC has had ZERO cases of COVID-19 transmitted within the hospital facility or any of our practices. Our entire team works constantly to maintain the safety of our environment of care for you and our staff – and it shows.

Recently, NMC shared news that a member of our Emergency Department Care team had tested positive relating to an asymptomatic, community-acquired case of COVID-19. With a staff as large as ours, statistics show it is inevitable. We are thankful the individual used proper PPE and took the other steps necessary to prevent transmission before symptoms or a positive test. We were so pleased to follow-up by sharing the news that everyone has tested negative from those deemed necessary to be tested under the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) guidance. It is reassuring evidence that the preventive steps do help.

It is also a powerful reminder to all of us not to become complacent. We must continue to take the proper steps to prevent the transmission of illness:

• Maintain social distancing of 6 feet or more when in public;
• Wear a cloth face covering when social distancing cannot be maintained;
• Cover your coughs and sneezes and use good hand washing;
• Pay attention to the travel and group gathering parameters from VDH;
• Get your flu shot to protect yourself and the vulnerable people around you;
• Stay home if you are sick and reach out to your primary care provider.
• For more information on COVID-19 from VDH, please visit: https://www.healthvermont.gov/response/coronavirus-covid-19 … For more information on the flu, visit: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/flu

Reducing the spread of COVID-19 is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone can contract the virus and for vulnerable populations, it can be quite serious. Thank you for your trust and partnership in our efforts to maintain a safe healing environment for all here at NMC.

— Jonathan Billings, Vice President of Community Relations