Some Encouraging Early Signs

April 17, 2020

Weekly Community Update

There are early signs that efforts to flatten the curve in Sonoma Valley by taking such precautions as working from home, physical distancing and wearing facial coverings in public, are having a positive effect.  These steps have helped to slow the rate of community transmission of new cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and ICU bed utilization. 

While it’s too soon to ease up on vigorous public health measures, this trend, combined with analysis of current bed capacity, suggests that the peak number of cases for this first wave of COVID-19 in our region may not stress our healthcare delivery system as severely as we anticipated.  The price of this apparent success, however, is a large non-immune (and therefore susceptible to COVID) population, which can lead to rapid focal outbreaks as public health measures are eased. 

Although COVID-19 is clearly top of mind for all of us, we encourage you to contact your primary care and specialist physicians for healthcare needs related or unrelated to COVID-19. Many physicians are seeing patients remotely through telemedicine visits or by phone.

Essential Services Remain Open

SVH’s essential services such as outpatient diagnostic testing, rehabilitation (Physical, Speech, and Hand Therapy), wound care, Occupational Health, and infusions continue to be available, and our Emergency Department remains open 24/7. When you arrive at the hospital for care, we ask that you bring your own facial covering if you have one. If not, we will provide one for you. We also ask that you follow distancing directions specified in our waiting rooms.

Testing By the Numbers: Through April 15, 2020

Mandate for Facial Coverings in Sonoma County

Beginning today, Friday, April 17, it is mandatory for all persons in Sonoma County to wear a facial covering when in public and in other circumstances.  The Order issued by the County’s Health Officer, Dr. Sundari Mase, is a step toward helping stop the spread of, and protect each other from, COVID-19 contagion.  More information can be found at the Sonoma County Department of Public Health’s website, along with a list of Frequently Asked Questions.  English Spanish

COVID-19 Screening Hotline New Hours:  8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Calls made to the Hospital’s COVID-19 Screening Hotline, 707.935.5440, will be answered by a Registered Nurse only between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, seven days a week. Calls made before 8:00 am and after 4:00 pm will receive a prerecorded message asking caller to either call back the next day, or, if immediate attention is needed, to call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.  

During the evaluation, if it is determined that testing is indicated, patients will be given an appointment for the drive-through screening site where testing occurs.  The appointment-only testing is located in the north entrance parking area of the Hospital (just west of Third Street West off of Andrieux Street). 

Antibody Testing

The hospital has received questions from the community regarding antibody testing and our Chief Medical Officer, Sabrina Kidd, M.D., is actively investigating the role and feasibility of this test for patients, the broader community and healthcare workers.  We are closely monitoring the guidance from the CDC and California Department of Public Health as well as new research.  We will continue to offer updates on this testing as it becomes available, and will communicate this through our news and community outreach channels.

Stay Informed

This is a rapidly evolving situation worldwide. We encourage you to stay informed about the changing guidelines regarding travel advisories, as well as simple ways to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. More information and resources are currently available and are being updated regularly at Sonoma Valley Hospital’s web site:   
COVID-19 Resources ENGLISH SPANISH

We’re Here, We’re Ready

We encourage you to take care of yourself and your family members by following government guidelines, including maintaining physical distancing and practicing good hand hygiene. Information on recommended practices is available on our website. As we navigate through this situation together, we will provide regular updates at our website and through our email and social media communications.