22 June 2020 | ABC10 reported today that Adventist Health Lodi Memorial has stopped taking non-COVID-19 patients as the facility has seen a spike in the number of staff members with the virus.

The Lodi, California-based hospital did not put a figure on the number of staff with coronavirus but said it was less than 30.

For an unspecified period, all non-coronavirus patients that come to the Lodi facility will be redirected to Dameron Hospital in Stockton, California, another Adventist Health facility.

Lodi Memorial will keep open its Emergency Department, as well as its OB department and clinics.

Lodi will continue testing its existing staff several times over the next two weeks to identify any more infections.

“The safety and well-being of our nurses, associates, physicians and patients are our top priority,” said Dr. Patricia Iris, medical officer of Adventist Health Lodi Memorial in a statement explaining the measures. “Despite strict safety protocols, training and use of personal protective equipment, more of our staff began testing positive this week. As a result, we decided to test all associates working in the hospital to give us a more complete understanding of the spread.”

Adventist Health has hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities, serving more than 80 communities across the western United States and Hawaii. The healthcare system is affiliated with the Adventist Church.

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