TAMPA. Fla. — Separate entrances for potential COVID-19 patients and nurses who work exclusively with those who have the virus are just some of the precautions AdventHealth Tampa's emergency department has put into place to prevent spread within the hospital.

Still, medical teams continue to treat patients who delayed seeking help to avoid exposure, including those experiencing heart attack or stroke.

"People tend to wait a little bit longer than we'd like them to, so they're coming in a little bit sicker than normal," said AdventHealth Tampa Assistant Vice President of Nursing Brandon Bougard. "They're saying that they just didn't want to be exposed, and I explain to them that we have a lot of procedures and policies in place to prevent exposure."

Bougard said those precautions started back in March. They include screening all patients, staff and visitors before they enter the ED with temperature checks and questions recommended by the CDC to determine their risk.

In addition, there's a separate entrance for those who may have the virus, and new front-end procedures move people through the waiting room quickly to allow for social distancing. 

"Do the Distance with Dr. Doug" social distancing sign at AdventHealth Tampa. (Sarah Blazonis/Spectrum Bay News 9)

"We also have nurses specially trained to take care of COVID and non-COVID patients, but we do one type at a time. We don't want to cross-contaminate. So, if you're taking care of a COVID patient, that's what you take care of is COVID patients for the day," Bougard said. 

Also, the ED is limiting how many caregivers a patient will see in his or her room, decreasing the number from about six staff members to three. More diagnostic work is also being done right at patients' bedsides.

"If they're potential COVID patients, all diagnostic procedures are done in a potential COVID patient room. We try to move the patient as little as possible, if we can, and the times that we have to move the patient — for example, to radiology — that room is shut down, cleaned, and prepared for the next patient," said Bougard.

According to Bougard, there are signs of progress. While AdventHealth said patient visits to the ED dropped to 45 percent of normal volume earlier in the year, that number is now up to 70 percent of normal volume.

Still, Bougard said it's important to continue spreading the word about precautions.

"We need to do better education to make sure that the public definitely knows we are here for them, we're here to keep them safe, and we're here to make sure they're not cross-contaminated," he said. "I just want them to know that it is truly safe to come to AdventHealth Tampa ED and to get taken care of when they really need the help. Do not wait too long."