HealthPartners, 2020 Community Benefit

Innovation, Technology and Community Partnerships Helped HealthPartners Hospitals Navigate Pandemic Response

Two members of staff with the colleague comfort kits at Amery Hospital & Clinic.
Located in western Wisconsin, Amery Hospital & Clinic, Hudson Hospital & Clinic and Westfields Hospital & Clinic are part of the HealthPartners system of care. In addition to standard COVID-19 precautions, some of the innovative changes we made included
Reducing the number of people on the hospital and clinic campuses, by:
Transitioning many appointments to video or phone visits where appropriate.
Temporarily suspending our in-center sleep studies and starting a mail-in process for patients to pick up and send back their at-home tests.
Implementing curbside prescription pickup at our pharmacies.
Introducing drive-up COVID-19 testing at Amery Hospital & Clinic.
Supporting county public health departments with testing needs for contact tracing and collaborating with civic, business and citizen groups in the community pandemic response.
Implementing mobile check-in for in-person clinic appointments to reduce time in lobbies or patient waiting areas.
Developing a text message screening tool to identify patients with COVID-19 symptoms before in-person visits.
Partnering with local businesses, such as Love Your Melon, and community members who donated home-made masks, we distributed alternative masks to administrative staff and patients or visitors without their own face covering.
Increasing well-being offerings to support colleagues’ mental health. Options included comfort rooms and comfort kits for relaxation at Amery Hospital & Clinic, and emotional support and Tai Chi sessions with certified staff at Westfields Hospital & Clinic.
Transitioning all our Make It OK mental health trainings to virtual.
Producing podcasts with advice for adults and children experiencing pandemic-related mental health concerns.
Developing and distributing a Community Resource Guide, that shares tools and resources for western Wisconsin families.
Transitioning our PowerUp Teen Leadership Council (TLC) to a virtual model. The 2020-21 TLC launched with a diverse group of 24 students.
HealthPartners - Amery Hospital & Clinic (Amery), Hudson Hospital & Clinic (Hudson), Westfields Hospital & Clinic (New Richmond)