Banner UMC Head: Creating the 'new normal' post-COVID-19

We can count the impact of COVID-19 by the millions. Millions of cases worldwide, millions of jobs and dollars lost, millions of businesses closed, millions of children out of school, and each of our lives changed.

These numbers will continue to grow, but we are now in a place where we must look to the next phase of this pandemic. While there is no definite timeline for this crisis, we can be sure its impact is far from over.

Our people have been on the front lines of this crisis and we cannot thank them enough for their efforts. But we also want to thank you, the community of Tucson.

We are incredibly appreciative of the outpouring of support. Between the food deliveries, donated personal protective equipment and well wishes for our front-line staff, we could not feel more connected during this socially distant time.

We also thank you for the sacrifices you have made to stay home, observe social distancing, and understand the effects this has had on you and our community. Over the next weeks, we can anticipate executive orders will loosen. During this time, we thank you in advance for continuing to stay at home when possible and practicing social distancing. Your actions have made a difference and saved lives right here in Tucson. We may all want to return to “normal,” but now we need to look to a new normal.

We have paused most nonurgent health care to allow us to ready for a COVID-19 surge. The Tucson COVID-19 situation continues but is manageable. During this pause, we have redesigned our processes so we can safely treat patients in a world in which COVID-19 remains. At Banner-University Medicine Tucson, our new normal begins tomorrow.

In accordance with Gov. Doug Ducey’s executive order, we are resuming elective procedures, with every safety precaution in place. These precautions, such as testing each surgical patient for COVID-19 before their procedure date, benefit not only our patients but our front-line team members caring for them.

Similarly, our clinics and procedure areas will be fully operational to serve our community’s health-care needs. Coming to the doctor will feel different going forward.

When we can address your concerns with a telemedicine visit, we will take care of you from the safety of your own home. For those issues that require in person care, we can assure you that we have implemented every safety measure possible.

All employees are screened throughout the day for symptoms and will wear a mask. Patients will be screened and asked to wear a mask. We have redesigned our clinics and schedules to minimize the number of people in waiting rooms and have separate physical sites of care for people with COVID-19 symptoms. All of this done with your safety in mind.

We are proud of the work our people have done over the past several weeks collaborating with our other health-care providers, the University of Arizona, Pima County, the State of Arizona, and our community leaders to assure we faced this public health crisis with coordinated efforts.

We are also proud of where we have been able to lean in and support the community by leading the way in testing capabilities. Our drive-thru site is participating in the state’s testing blitz to bring expanded resources to the community. As these capabilities grow, we will continue to offer additional testing to meet the needs of our workers, our patients and our community at large.

Please remember, when it’s time to come to the hospital or clinic, we are prepared to keep you safe. The road to recovery is a long one, but with responsible planning and short-term corrections, we can manage this together.