Masking Policy

SCOPE:

The policy applies to all employees, patients, visitors, vendors, students, contract workers and volunteers entering the facility.

PURPOSE:

To ensure Jackson Hospital is prepared to provide health services and minimize the risk of transmission of any respiratory and/or airborne disease process, as well as meet the requirements placed upon our facility by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and all other regulatory bodies.  Wearing masks can help protect you and others from these diseases. 

POLICY:

Jackson Hospital’s goal is to prevent the transmission of respiratory and/or airborne diseases. All employees, patients, visitors, vendors, students, contract workers and volunteers are responsible for their role in the prevention of such diseases.  Managers, as well as non-managerial employees and their representatives are responsible for supporting, complying with, and providing recommendations to further improve this policy.  The policy addresses mask usage. 

PROCEDURE:

Procedures and processes set forth in this policy will be re-evaluated and revised based on the current CDC/State of Florida recommendations and the findings of any workplace hazard assessments.  The policy will be posted to the Jackson Hospital website and in the main lobby of the hospital for public review, per regulatory guidelines.

General Information:           

• Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.
• COVID-19 Community Levels are monitored daily to help determine what prevention steps to take based on the latest data and precautions should be taken to protect yourself and others based on the levels in your area.
  • Levels are classified as “Low”, “Medium” and “High”, and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the area.
    • If the Community Level is “Low”, or noted as “Green”, wear a mask based on your personal preference, informed by your personal level of risk.
    • If the Community Level is “Medium”, or noted as “Yellow”, wear a mask if you have respiratory symptoms, have a positive test for a respiratory illness, or have been exposed to someone with a respiratory illness.
      • If you are immunocompromised, or at high risk for severe illness, talk to your health care provider about additional precautions, such as wearing masks indoors in public.
      • If you live with or have social contact with someone at high risk for severe illness, consider testing yourself for infection before getting together with them.
    • If the Community Level is “High”, or noted as “Orange”, wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status.
  • It is important to wear a mask or respirator when you are sick or caring for someone who is sick with a respiratory illness. 

Personal Protective Equipment:

• Healthcare Personnel (HCP) should follow Standard Precautions (and Transmission-Based Precautions, if required, based on the suspected diagnosis).
• All employees will be required to utilize appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to include masks, as deemed appropriate per CDC Transmission-Based Precaution guidelines (contact, droplet, airborne, etc).
• All patients will be encouraged to wear a face covering during transport within the hospital (if tolerated), based on CDC Transmission-Based Precautions guidelines.
• Surgical masks and N-95 masks will be reserved for use in caring for isolation patients and surgical procedures, as deemed appropriate.
• N-95 masks will be removed and discarded after each patient care encounter and a new one should be donned. In the event of supply chain shortages, decontamination for re-use will be performed per the decontamination protocol set forth.