Catalina Island Medical Center Fights to Confront COVID-19 Pandemic
Editor’s note: As of Friday, April 3, the Catalina Island Medical Center reports one confirmed case of COVID-19 on Catalina. See the related story on this website or visit the Medical Center website for more details.
During this time of uncertainty and concern, xwe at Catalina Island Medical Center (CIMC) want you to know that all of us at CIMC are doing exactly what we have done for nearly 60 years: protecting and caring for the community of Catalina Island. Our unwavering commitment to providing a high level of services is exactly why CIMC will always be inextricably intertwined with the health and survival of Catalina Island.
As an organization, CIMC has evolved swiftly over the past month to meet our community’s healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We reorganized and restructured our clinical team and staff within our existing facility so that we are ready to manage COVID-19 cases that might present at the medical center, while still providing regular critical care services safely and effectively. We’ve implemented telehealth options so that everyone can still access and receive care even while they are sheltered at home. And CIMC has made digital educational content available on our website and social media to keep you informed and stay actively engaged with our community.
CIMC is working closely with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure we deliver safe and appropriate care, all while implementing precautions that will help reduce further spread of the coronavirus. Now more than ever, it’s critical to ensure that those who need the highest level of care can access it, and to equally prioritize the safety of our staff and patients.
To that end, we want to share with you that for all appointments, patients may use telecommunication technology for office, hospital visits, and other services that generally occur in-person. Please visit our webpage at www.cimedicalcenter.org/virtual to view your virtual and telemedicine options with CIMC.
- For all appointments Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, please call the CLINIC at (310) 510-0096
- For all other hours, please call the HOSPITAL at (310) 510-0700
Please let us know if you are experiencing symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath) or feel you may have been exposed to coronavirus.
While CIMC has accomplished a lot over this past month, we have also incurred unexpected costs to cover up-staffing needs and purchasing of additional supplies, even while we have experienced lost revenue as a result of the tourists and visitors shutdown. What we want our community to know is that CIMC will continue to fight on and help prevent the burden on an already distressed healthcare system by keeping patient care on the island as possible when appropriate. We must stay prepared to confront COVID-19 cases that might show up at our doors. We are calling for the community’s support to sustain care in this new environment, and there are several ways you can help:
- Follow us on the aforementioned social media pages and share CIMC with your social network.
- Contact our legislators to advocate for CIMC so we stay top of mind. To learn how, visit www.cimedicalcenter.org/advocate-for-cimc
- Make a gift to the CIMC Emergency Response Fund. We would be grateful for any contribution you are able to make to help us respond to emergency needs.
- Visit our website at www.cimedicalcenter.org and click on Donate Now
CIMC is grateful for all support that comes our way and we thank you in advance for joining us in our fight to continue caring for Catalina Island now and for generations to come.
For any questions or more information on how you can help, visit our website at www.cimedicalcenter.org or contact Tina Minh at tminh@cimedicalcenter.org
