Timothy Miller, CEO of Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health, provides the latest update on coronavirus (COVID-19).

As leaders in mental healthcare, we are making every effort to avoid inciting unnecessary panic or anxiety among our clients and families, and we are taking every measure to protect them – along with our employees – during this dynamic situation. We are closely monitoring information provided by key government, regulatory and local entities.

Important Coronavirus Update

We remind our community to follow the guidance: If individuals develop a fever or cough or have difficulty breathing, or have had close contact with someone who has had a confirmed positive COVID-19 test result, please seek medical attention by calling your provider’s office. For more information regarding the coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

In the interest of protecting the health and safety of our patients, staff and our community, the following actions have been implemented at our Facility.

Services and Programs

• Our facility is fully operational and serving the needs of our community. We are taking proactive steps to keep our patients and team members safe, including screening all individuals upon entering the facility.
• We have transformed two of our outpatient programs—our psychiatric intensive outpatient program and our substance use intensive outpatient program—to a virtual platform until further notice.  Patients wishing to participate in either of our intensive outpatient programs may do so through the use of telehealth technology.  We will accept admissions into our programs Monday through Friday, but appointments are required.  Our psychiatric partial hospitalization program has closed, but will reopen when it is determined that it is safe to host in-person treatment groups.
• For those in need of a non-medical emergency behavioral healthcare, kindly contact us rather than the local Emergency Department.
• We are actively monitoring and responding to all recommendations made by the CDC and our local regulatory and health authorities.
• In an effort to reduce the likelihood of community spread, all in-person visitation has been suspended (with limited critical exceptions). We strongly encourage the use of electronic methods to stay connected with loved ones including telemedicine, zoom, and extended phone time.
• We have implemented additional training for all employees on handwashing and hand sanitization, and strict employee and client compliance with washing/sanitizing hands thoroughly and often.
• We have increased the frequency of the required cleaning and sanitization of our facility, including intake rooms, surfaces and common areas.
• Our Facility’s community education programs may be cancelled/postponed; we ask the community to follow us on Facebook for updates.

Prevention

The CDC recommends individuals and families follow everyday preventive measures:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60–95% alcohol.
• Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
• Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms.
• Practice ‘social distancing’ in an effort to avoid spread of the virus. Do not meet in groups larger than 10 persons, and maintain personal space when engaging in in-person interactions.

We thank our community for everyone’s cooperation and for being an advocate for the health of your loved ones and all patients in our care.