Cooper has revised our team member masking policy for inpatient units and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper locations, with the effective dates below. This is to address team member and patient feedback, to prevent outbreaks on specialty units where it can be challenging to isolate patients, and to prevent COVID-19 transmission to patients who may be at high risk for morbidity and mortality secondary to their unique co-morbidities. These masking policy changes are consistent with CDC guidance and the practices of other academic health systems.
This policy change applies only to the clinical areas listed below. There are no changes in masking requirements for other ambulatory offices or non-clinical buildings.
All changes below are currently in effect:
- On the Behavioral Heath units (Kelemen 5 – the inpatient psychiatric unit – and the ED Behavioral Area), team members will mask while patient facing (all patients).
- Masking is optional for team members, patients, and visitors at all MD Anderson at Cooper locations, including Two Cooper Plaza (MD Anderson at Cooper building), MD Anderson at Cooper Willingboro building, MD Anderson at Cooper Voorhees offices (Radiation Oncology, Infusion, and MDA Multidisciplinary), with the following exceptions when masking will be required:
- When a team member, patient, or visitor has upper respiratory symptoms not consistent with influenza-like illness and has tested negative for COVID-19, has had a known exposure to COVID-19 within the last 10 days, is within 10 to 20 days after a COVID-19 infection, or is recovering from an upper respiratory infection.
- Upon request by the patient or patient’s representative.
- Upon entering the care space of any patient (including when providing routine direct patient care such as clinic visits, infusions, and/or radiation treatments).
- In addition to the criteria already listed in our current Team Member Masking Policy, we have implemented patient-focused masking to prevent transmission of COVID-19 to patients who are at high risk for mortality secondary to their underlying disease process and/or their inability to receive COVID-19 treatment. Dr. Snehal Gandhi and our informatics team have developed a process in Epic to identify a patient’s co-morbidities and flag the chart to indicate to a team member that they will need to wear a mask when they are patient facing with this individual. There will also be a sign on the door to alert team members that mask wearing is required:
In a double occupancy room where only one patient is deemed to be high risk, team members must still wear a mask when they enter the room, even if they are taking care of the roommate who is not high risk. Team members on the units will have scripting to explain to patients why a mask is being worn in their room. This scripting is available here.
The Team Member Masking Policy in the CPN will be updated accordingly.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Raquel Nahra.
Thank you for your continued outstanding care of our Cooper patients.