For Health Care Providers

For Health Care Providers

The UVM Health Network is working with the Vermont Department of Health to coordinate preparedness efforts to contain and treat COVID-19 informed by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C​DC). Our highest priority remains providing safe, quality care for all patients.

We have included a collection of resources for health care providers.

If you are an employee of UVM Health Network or one of its affiliates, please reference your affiliate’s intranet or document-sharing site for up-to-date policies and protocols.

Screening & Testing

Screening Information

• Algorithm for Screening (UVMMC) - 9.29.20

Testing Information

• Ambulatory Testing Criteria (UVMMC) - 9.21.20
• ED Testing Criteria (UVMMC) - 9.21.20
• Inpatient Testing and Precautions Algorithm (UVMMC) - 11.19.20
• Testing Prior to Discharge to Sub-Acute/Nursing Facility (UVMMC) - 9.21.20
• Ordering and Use of COVID-19 Serology Testing (UVMHN) - 9.17.20
• Guidance for UVMMC Providers Regarding Influenza Like Illness - 10.9.20

Testing Instructions

Vermont

• UVM Medical Center Referral Instructions
• Porter Medical Center
• Central Vermont Medical Center: If you have a patient located in CVMC’s region showing COVID-19 symptoms, please send them to the CVMC COVID-19 Hotline (802-371-5310) to be screened for a referral to our Pop-up Collection Site.

New York

• Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Alice Hyde Medical Center: Refer to the instructions on CVPH’s For Medical Professionals page on their website.
• Elizabethtown Community Hospital: ECH is recommending testing all patients with compatible symptoms (i.e. fever, cough, shortness of breath, myalgias, loss of smell/taste, etc), possible exposures or people who need a negative test to return to work. For ordering instructions call:
  • Elizabethtown campus: (518) 873-3069
  • Ticonderoga campus: (518) 585-3927

For a list of all collection sites in our service area, please refer to the tables listed at bottom of this page.

Clinical Guidelines & Protocols for Health Care Providers

Protocols for managing patients diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 are fluid. We will make every attempt to keep this page updated to ensure clinicians are acting in concert with the latest information.

If the protocols on this webpage do not answer your questions, and you have a time-sensitive question about COVID-19, you can call the numbers listed below for your area. We are experiencing a high volume of calls. To ensure the sickest patients get the care they need, please consult the frequently updated materials on this webpage before calling.

UVM Medical Center Provider Access Service: 802-847-2700 or 800-639-2480

Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) COVID-19 Hotline: 802-371-5310

Porter Medical Center: 2-1-1 OR 1-866-652-4636

Alice Hyde Medical Center, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) and Elizabethtown Community Hospital: New York State Novel Coronavirus Hotline 24/7 at 1-888-3065. Also see CVMC’s Resources for Medical Professionals.

These protocols are specific to UVM Medical Center (unless noted as UVMHN). While we are doing everything we can to standardize protocols across the UVM Health Network, because of the unique environments at each of our affiliate hospitals, protocols may vary by location.

General

• Vermont Department of Health's Guidance on Isolation, Quarantine and Self-Monitoring (VDH) - 9.8.20
• Therapeutic Algorithm - Adult - 10.12.20
• Therapeutic Algorithm - Infant & Child - 10.12.20
• Medication Conservation Guidelines - 9.21.20

Ambulatory

• Guidelines for Caring for a COVID-19 Patient in an Ambulatory Clinic - 9.30.20

Birthing Center

• Pregnant COVID+ or PUI Admission - 9.24.20

Blood Transfusion

• Blood Transfusion Guidance - 9.29.20

Cleaning

• Bleach Product OP - 10.21.20
• Disinfection Product OP - 10.21.20
• Bleach Product IP - 10.21.20
• Disinfection Product IP - 10.21.20

Critical Care

• Critical Care COVID-19 Quick Guide - 9.21.20
• Indications for COVID VV ECMO - 9.21.20

Emergency Response Teams

• Clinical Emergency Response Guidelines - 8.14.20

Inpatient

• Bed Placement Cohort - 11.19.20
• General Medicine Quick Guide - 9.21.20
• Aerosol Generating Procedures - 9.1.20
• COVID Code Blue Box - 9.10.20
• Code Carts - 9.10.20
• ARDS Ventilator Management Protocol (internal document)

Radiology

• COVID-19 Radiology Screening & Workflow - 9.21.20

Respiratory Therapy

• Albuterol Nebulizer/MDI Treatment Algorithm - 9.21.20

Surgery

• Surgery & Procedure Workflows - 10.5.20
• Surgical and Procedural PPE Algorithm (UVMHN) - 11.20.20

Palliative Care

• Palliative Care Toolkit - 10.20.20
• Symptom Management for Severe Dyspnea/Pain - 10.20.20
• End of Line Dyspnea/Pain Management for IQ/SV or Hospitalized Patients - 10.20.20
• How to Reach Palliative Care or Hospice Services - 10.20.20
• Managing COVID-Positive Patients at Home - 10.20.20
• Dyspnea Quick Reference - 10.20.20

Patient Transport

• Ambulance Arrival Process - 9.21.20
• Intra-Hospital Transport - 9.18.20

Pulmonary Medicine

• Pulmonary Pathway - 9.17.20

Protecting Yourself - PPE Guidelines

• PPE Guide for Patients and Non-Patient Facing Staff (UVMMC) - 10.15.20
• PPE Algorithm for Patient Facing Staff (UVMMC) - 11.20.20
• Surgical and Procedural PPE Algorithm (UVMHN) - 11.20.20
• Discharge Room Cleaning and Downtime Recommendations (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• Eye Protection Guidelines (UVMMC) - 10.8.20
• Universal N95 Respirator Guide (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• COVID-19 Positive and PUI Transport Guidelines (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• PPE Conservation Strategy (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• Donning & Doffing PPE Instructions (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• N95 Respiratory Reprocessing Collection Process (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• Guidance on Personal and Procedure Mask Use and Re-use (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• End of Life Visitor PPE (UVMMC) - 9.24.20
• Special Droplet & Contact Precautions (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• PAPR General User Instructions (UVMMC) - 9.16.20
• Donning & Doffing PAPR Video
• Donning & Doffing PPE Video

Hand Hygiene & Cough/Sneeze Etiquette

Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer (video)

Soap & Water (video)

Cough & Sneeze Etiquette (video)

“Stop the Spread” in translation

“Help Keep Illness from Spreading” handouts in various languages

• Arabic
• Burmese
• Chinese
• English
• French
• Kirundi
• Nepali
• Somali
• Spanish
• Swahili
• Vietnamese

Collection Sites

Vermont

New York

External Links

WHO situation summary (best viewed in Chrome, Firefox or Safari)
CDC situation summary
CDC on how you can stay safe
Vermont Department of Health COVID-19
New York State Health Department
Johns Hopkins COVID epidemic map
New York Times COVID outbreak coverage (no paywall)

Disclaimer

This site is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. All information is meant for use by healthcare workers and not the general public. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. No physician-patient relationship is created by this web site or its use. Neither UVM Health Network nor its employees, nor any contributor to this web site, makes any representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use. All copyrights to UVM Health Network web site and its contents are the property of the UVM Health Network unless otherwise noted. Except when indicated, permission is hereby granted to reproduce, distribute, and display copies of content material for nonprofit educational and nonprofit library purposes, provided that copies are distributed at or below costs and author and source are acknowledged. No commercial uses are allowed without the prior express permission of the UVM Health Network.