NH Pensacola App Improves COVID-19 Screening Procedures

Photo By Carter Denton | PENSACOLA, Fla. (April 20, 2020) Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Cesar Ocampo is screened upon entry to Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Pensacola by Hospitalman Jacob Ballard . NMRTC Pensacola has implemented new traffic patterns and screening procedures to mitigate exposure of staff and patients to those with possible COVID-19 symptoms. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Carter Denton)  

PENSACOLA, FL, UNITED STATES

05.21.2020

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Carter Denton 

NMRTC Pensacola

PENSACOLA, Fla. (May 21, 2020) The Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP) free smartphone app improves the process of screening patients and staff for COVID-19 symptoms upon entry to the facility and disseminates useful information about the status of facilities services and frequently asked questions.
All these features are available 24 hours a day from a mobile device in the app’s COVID-19 section.
“I wanted to build a COVID-19 section as sort of a one-stop-shop for people to use remotely while trying to maintain safety for both patients and staff,” said Marcus Henry, NHP public affairs officer and developer of the COVID-19 section of the NHP app.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 spreads among people who are in close contact with each other for prolonged periods. The app improves the safety of patients and staff while minimizing close contact during the COVID-19 screening process.
“The intent was to minimize exposure for both the screeners and those entering the facility, but also decrease the amount of time that it takes to complete the screening process,” said Henry. “Essentially, we’re giving people 20 seconds of their lives back.”
The app allows those entering the facility to answer screening questions remotely and show the results to a NHP staff screener rather than that screener having to ask the questions directly.
“The app has allowed the screening process to be facilitated in a more safe and efficient manner,” said Senior Chief Master at Arms Robert Louck, an advisor for the proper implementation of the COVID-19 screening process. “We’ve encouraged individuals, especially early on in this process, to use the app because it saves time for each individual and the traffic flow into the facility as a whole.”
The COVID-19 section is just one of the ways that the app is saving patients and staff time and effort. The app also offers patients services like scheduling an appointment by phone or with TRICARE Online, sending secure messages via RelayHealth to their Medical Home Port Team, ordering prescription refills through TRICARE Online, and more. To download the app, search Naval Hospital Pensacola in an app store.

• Date Taken: 05.21.2020
• Date Posted: 05.27.2020 10:22
• Story ID: 370824
• Location: PENSACOLA, FL, US