WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Patient Info
At Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), we understand there are valid concerns about visiting a doctor’s office, ER, or hospital right now. We have taken every precaution to ensure our patients are protected – healthcare visits are extremely safe for you and your family.
Below is a list of answers to frequently asked questions about what you can expect at an upcoming health visit, and what we’re doing to keep our patients safe.
Is my doctor’s office open?
All Family Health Centers remain open for our patients who require essential healthcare services. Additionally, we are offering patients virtual visits via our secure telemedicine services for certain medical concerns. For more information, we encourage you to contact your physician directly. Call (315) 824.4600 or visit our Family Health Center page.
What if I missed my routine lab/x-ray visit?
ALL outpatient services are open and are providing services for patients – laboratory, radiology and rehabilitation. If you missed your lab work, x-ray or physical therapy visit, we encourage you to call to get it rescheduled. We also take walk-ins for certain services – call the department you need, or talk to your provider about getting your appointment rescheduled. A full list of our services and phone numbers can be found on our services page.
Is Urgent Care open?
Urgent Care of Community Memorial has resumed normal operating hours. The phone number for Urgent Care is (315) 648.6411, and hours are M-F, 5:30pm – 9pm and weekend hours are 10am – 2pm and 3pm – 5:30pm. Please visit the Urgent Care page for additional information.
Please call office first if you have traveled domestically or internationally in the past 14 days, or may have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, and have any of these symptoms: fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Is it safe to visit the ER?
If you require medical attention, our emergency room facilities are safe to visit. The medical professionals at Community Memorial have developed several steps and policies to ensure the safety of all of our patients. In addition to COVID screening, cleaning, and sanitizing procedures, CMH maintains separate units for treating patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
Do not risk your life by postponing treatment due to fear of exposure to COVID-19. If you are experiencing symptoms of a stroke, heart attack, or any other life threatening emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room to seek immediate care.
I’m concerned about being exposed to COVID-19. What are you doing to protect patients during their visits?
While it’s important to be aware of the seriousness of COVID-19, it’s also just as important to take care of your health. We do not want you to risk your health by delaying care. The following procedures have been established in accordance with the direction of the NYS Department of Health to ensure all of our patients remain healthy during their visit:
All patients visiting our facilities are pre-screened for COVID-19 symptoms before arriving for their visit.
All patients, staff, and providers are screened for COVID-19 symptoms daily before entering CMH facilities, including a temperature check.
Anyone on our hospital campus or any Family Health Center location is required to wear a face mask.
All patients are required to adhere to our social distancing measures when there are other patients in the waiting areas.
We have a team of professionals solely dedicated to thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing our sites throughout the day.
Authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors.
Does CMH provide Telemedicine visits?
CMH provides telemedicine options for those patients who seek medical consultation for non-emergent or life threatening medical concerns. Our telemedicine services provide a great option for our patients who prefer to have a video visit, as well as for patients who do not require diagnostic testing, lab work, or treatments. If you are unsure whether you need a video appointment or require an in-office visit, please contact your doctor’s office: (315) 824.4600 or one of our Family Health Centers.
My child is due for a well-visit, including some vaccinations. Are in-person pediatric appointments available?
We continue to provide well-visits and immunizations onsite. We encourage you to stay on schedule with your child’s well-visits, especially when it comes to maintaining their vaccinations. Additionally, our providers continue to offer telemedicine services to children of all ages for certain medical issues. Please call (315) 824.4600 for more information.
Are you still conducting surgical procedures?
Elective surgeries, both inpatient and outpatient, have resumed at Community Memorial. Our medical and surgical teams have incorporated a process for screening and testing, which provides a high-level of patient and staff safety. All patients will be tested for COVID-19 prior to their scheduled surgery. Additional information will be provided to patients prior to their surgery date.
Can I postpone my surgery? If so, when will I be able to reschedule?
As with any planned surgery or procedure, we must weigh the risk of delay with the benefit of having your surgery. Please contact your doctor to discuss the best timing for your surgery as it pertains to your specific health needs.
Is it safe to come to the hospital to have surgery?
Community Memorial has strict procedures in place for surgical patients. The following procedures have been established in accordance to the direction of the NYS Department of Health to ensure all of our patients remain healthy during their visit:
CMH maintains separate units for COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative patients. If you are not a COVID-19 positive patient, you will not be treated in the same unit as those patients who have tested positive for the virus.
Patients scheduled for surgery must test negative for COVID-19 before their surgery is performed
Authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors.
Am I allowed to accompany my loved one in the hospital during my surgery?
At the direction of NYS Department of Health, all hospital visitations are now suspended, with the exception of special needs patients, emergent situations, or family members and/or legal representatives of patients in imminent end-of-life situations. Any and all visitors meeting these exceptions will be screened for symptoms or potential exposure to someone with COVID-19 before entering the hospital facility.
We will continue to follow updated guidelines from the state around visitor restrictions, and update our patients as new procedures are implemented.
What is the best way to make an appointment?
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, please contact your doctor for scheduling assistance. If you are unsure of how to contact your doctor or clinic, please visit our Family Heath Centers page for more information.
Additional Resources
Community Memorial remains dedicated to providing the highest-quality in personalized, quality patient care, during this pandemic and well beyond. For more information pertaining to the virus, as well as the most up-to-date information and contact phone numbers, we encourage you to visit/call the following:
The New York State Department of Health 24-hour hotline: (888) 364-3065
Authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors.
