COVID-19

At Inspira Health, we are committed to keeping you informed about the new coronavirus (COVID-19).

Our clinical leadership teams continue to closely monitor the situation and put policies and procedures in place to protect patients, visitors and staff. Our facilities continue to follow the most current guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health authorities to appropriately screen, isolate and manage patients who meet the criteria.

Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms should seek care as they normally would, immediately alerting the health care facility or health care provider if they have recently been in close contact with someone who has been under investigation for, or is a confirmed case of, COVID-19. Anyone concerned that they or a loved one might be displaying clinical distress (such as breathing difficulties) should call 9-1-1 as they normally would.

It’s important to understand that this situation continues to evolve. For the most current information about COVID-19 please visit the CDC website. Inspira Health has an established a hotline; call 1-800-772-2848, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Inspira Health has been made aware of recent reports that two of the three available monoclonal antibody therapies are not effective against Omicron, which now accounts for 92% of COVID-19 variants in New Jersey. Effective December 26, Inspira Health is pausing those therapies indefinitely and restricting to patients based upon pre-existing conditions with the highest risks for developing severe COVID pneumonia to receive Sotrovimab, a similar therapy proven effective against Omicron and other variants of concern, that is currently in limited supply across the nation.

Please Note: At this time, Inspira Health facilities do not have oral antiviral COVID-19 pills.

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COVID-19 Testing

Inspira Urgent Care offers both rapid and lab tests for COVID-19. Please let the site know if you have cold, flu, or COVID-19 symptoms before you enter. We can accommodate families who want to be tested together. Due to high demand, all requests for COVID testing must be scheduled by phone. Please call the urgent care to schedule your COVID test.

Visitation Policy

Our priority during this pandemic is to protect patients, visitors, and staff. Our visitation policy is designed to balance the importance of visitation for our patients and their loved ones while protecting all of us from the spread of coronavirus. Please check frequently for updates, and contact us if you have questions.

View the current policy.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Get information about the COVID-19 vaccine including FAQs, fact sheets for caregivers and recipients, the latest on where and when you can get the vaccine, and other resources.

Information about Coronavirus

Try Rosie. Our virtual assistant (in the bottom right corner of this page) can help individuals decide what steps they should take, based on symptoms and possible exposure to COVID-19. After answering a few questions, Rosie recommends if the individual should seek medical care.

For anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to the coronavirus, we are offering a free 16-Day Self-Monitoring Tool to track and monitor how they’re feeling without leaving home, making it useful to both symptomatic and asymptotic people. This virtual tool also provides helpful information and reminders for people who are self-isolating. It guides patients daily through a series of questions that check for and log coronavirus symptoms in an effort to improve awareness and education around the disease. The tool also provides important resources for caring for yourself at home, managing stress and anxiety, early warning signs, cloth face coverings, and more. Enroll Here to Try It.

The safety of our patients, our staff and our community-at-large has always been and will continue to be our top priority. We have been taking every precaution to protect our community through comprehensive protocols for social distancing, the use of personal protective equipment, sanitation, staffing and other initiatives.

As a result, if you need to seek medical care, it is safe to be treated at Inspira Health medical centers. Do not avoid treatment out of fear.

Additionally, our Emergency Department continues to and will remain open to safely treat patients. Anyone experiencing an emergency should call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if able.

To further enhance safety, we have put in place additional measures across the network to ensure everyone who walks into our buildings (employees, patients, visitors) remains safe and healthy:

Masks are provided to and worn by all employees, physicians, and patients upon entering the hospital.
Every unit is sanitized daily with an UV light treatment to supplement our current hospital cleaning and disinfecting practices.
- Elevators, chairs, desks and doors in all areas of the hospital sanitized with a virucide disinfectant solution by the sanitation team.
COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients are concentrated in different locations, treated by distinct care teams.
Negative pressure rooms are used to safely care for our patients with COVID-19 to prevent further spread of the disease.
Temperature and sign/symptom checks are conducted prior to any employee, physician or patient entering the hospital.
- Any individual with a fever or a sign/symptom of COVID-19 will be assessed further clinically before they enter.
Plexiglass shields continue to be installed at all information and registration areas, as well as cafeterias.
Hand washing with soap and water and the use of hand sanitizer is available throughout the hospital.
Microsoft Surface tablets are used by staff and doctors to communicate with COVID-19 patients without entering their hospital rooms when it’s not necessary to do so.

Visitor restrictions are put in place to decrease potential virus transmission (see below).

From Our Providers

Inspira Health Nurse and Clinical Trial Manager Cathy Vasquez RN, BSN shares her background in clinical trial research and the importance of FDA approvals when it comes to getting vaccinated.

Evelyn Balogun, MD is Inspira's Medical Director of Employee Health, Occupational Medicine and Urgent Care. In this video, Dr. Balogun explains how viruses mutate, the impact of the delta variant on our communities and how getting vaccinated can mitigate severe illness and hospitalization

Gregory Breen, MD is a board-certified physician in critical care, pulmonary and sleep medicine. He breaks down the science behind monoclonal antibodies therapies and their efficacy in qualifying patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Katie Schultes, MD, is an emergency medicine physician at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill. Dr. Schultes is also an avid runner. In this video, she shares why getting outside and going for a run or walk can bring major health benefits to your daily routine.

On the fence about getting the COVID-19 vaccine? Hear from Inspira's own Evelyn Balogun, MD, Medical Director of Urgent Care, Employee Health and Occupational Medicine, as she shares some advice and useful tools to consider when it comes to getting vaccinated.

In the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical trials are coming up in conversation more frequently. Sami Abate, PhD, MSHS, MSN, RN, CCRN, Inspira Health's Director of Research and Nursing Quality clears up some of the common misconceptions and breaks down their importance.

Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill's Director of Pharmacy Ed Dix discusses mRNA vaccines, side effects and the importance of getting vaccinated to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Have questions about the vaccine? Drop a comment below.

Helpful Resources & Inspira News

COVID Alert NJ A Coronavirus Pandemic Guide for New Jerseyans CDC Website About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) NJ Department of Health Resources NJ Hospital Association (NJHA) Resources Coronavirus News from Inspira The COVID-19 Vaccine COVID-19 Testing Modified Schedules Blue Hearts for Heroes COVID-19 Recovery Program NJHA COVID Update SARS-CoV-2 Positive Specimens Requested from Long-Term Care Facilities when Vac…

Questions

For general questions about the coronavirus, the New Jersey Poison Control Center has providers available to answer your questions. The number is 1-800-222-1222. You can also call 1-800-962-1253 to speak to a healthcare professional. For general information, testing, and basic needs, dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211. For alerts/updates, text NJCOVID to 898-211.

To provide an additional resource for our community, Inspira Health has established a hotline. Call 1-800-772-2848, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays to receive information about Inspira’s state of readiness and up-to-date decisions regarding the status of our services provided at our 150+ access points.

Donations

To confront the COVID-19 pandemic and address the needs of patients and caregivers impacted by coronavirus, the Inspira Health Foundation is accepting monetary donations as well as food, supplies, masks, words of encouragement, and more. Learn more on our Donations Page or contact InspiraGiving@ihn.org or 856-641-8290.