Comprehensive Care for All Pediatric Patients During COVID-19

To our Mass General for Children patients and families,

While we are still living in times of uncertainty, we want you to know that we are available, ready to provide care for all children. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Mass General for Children continues to provide safe and high quality care for our patients. We have taken unprecedented steps to ensure office visits and procedures are welcoming and safe.

Some outpatient clinic visits have been changed to virtual visit clinic appointments. Virtual visits are also called telehealth visits and are being used to promote physical distancing. They use either a smartphone or a personal computer so you and your child may see and speak to their clinician. Telephone appointments can be arranged when a smartphone connection is not possible.

Our Commitment to Your Safety

We’ve taken many steps to ensure safety for all patients, families, and staff. For children who require in-person office or procedural care, we have heightened precautions to ensure that their visit to the hospital is welcoming and safe. This includes:

• Enhanced cleaning and disinfection of our facilities
• Screening patients and staff for symptoms and exposures each day; employees reporting symptoms cannot report to work and patients with symptoms are seen in a special clinic
• Reduced volume of patients to allow physical distancing
• Staggered arrival times to prevent patients from coming into contact with others
• Requiring all clinicians, staff, patients and vendors to wear masks in public and clinical spaces
• Re-organized waiting rooms with fewer chairs and floors by check-in; desks have been marked with tape at six-foot intervals
• Offering virtual visits through the internet wherever possible

• Testing all patients for COVID-19 before admissions; patients with a COVID positive status are being seen and treated in a separate routine ambulatory clinic (RACC)

• Separate elevators and entrances for patients positive for COVID-19. These areas are clearly marked so that all patients are aware when onsite
• Installed hand sanitizer throughout Mass General and are requiring everyone to put on a new mask at the front door

Learn more about our safe care commitment.

If you have any questions for your child’s MGfC provider, please use Patient Gateway or call the Patient Access line at 888-644-3248.

 

Wearing a Mask at MGfC

Coming to the hospital for a visit for the first time since the pandemic might be scary or overwhelming for some children, especially if they are not used to wearing a mask for long periods of time. To help, MGfC created a video that patients and caregivers can watch ahead of their visit so they can know what to expect and feel more comfortable. In the video, Laurel Schnitman, BS, CCLS, from Child Life, explains how to put on and safely take off a mask, what to expect when children and their caregivers enter the hospital for a visit, and why we wear masks inside the hospital.