This decision was made with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), in conjunction with our Infection Prevention and Employee Health departments. WhidbeyHealth has returned to Standard Transmission Based Precautions and Respiratory Hygiene & Cough Etiquette processes to ensure patient and employee safety.
Our Whidbey Island community has done a great job at flattening the curve and protecting each other from the spread of coronavirus. Putting an end to the pandemic is up to us - each of us - to take the necessary steps: Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Watch your distance.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for Healthcare Institutions
Under Washington State Governor Inslee's Proclamation 21-14.2 requires employees of healthcare institutions to be fully vaccinated (minimum of first series) against COVID-19 a reasonable accommodation for disability - related or sincerely held religious belief reasons will be considered. As a healthcare provider, all WhidbeyHealth workforce members are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
WhidbeyHealth Medical Center and Clinics are implementing an update to our masking guidelines in light of updated recommendations from the CDC and WA Department of Health.
Effective April 1, 2022:
Additional information regarding WhidbeyHealth's Mask Guidelines can be found here.
WhidbeyHealth Community Pharmacy is pleased to be able to offer Novavax COVID-19 vaccine to the Whidbey Island community.
PLEASE NOTE: Novavax is a two-dose primary series vaccine for COVID-19. Novavax is not a supplementary vaccine or booster. Patients requesting Novavax will not be provided a vaccine if they have been previously vaccinated for COVID-19. It is ONLY for those who have NOT received a COVID-19 vaccine previously.
For additional information about Novavax from the CDC, click here.
WhidbeyHealth Medical Center will offer Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) infusion therapy as supplies are available.
Due to the widespread availability of COVID-19 testing available on the island and the sharp decrease in demand at WhidbeyHealth for coronavirus testing appointments, WhidbeyHealth will cease operating its scheduled or drive-up polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on November 12, 2021.
Those in the community in need of elective PCR testing, pre-procedurally or for travel, should seek testing at a local pharmacy or with their prescribing provider. WhidbeyHealth will continue to administer PCR testing as a medical necessity for symptomatic patients at our Emergency Department and Walk-In Clinics. To ensure the continued safety of our patients and staff, if you are a patient experiencing upper-respiratory or COVID-19 symptoms, WhidbeyHealth asks that you call ahead and properly disclose any symptoms, WhidbeyHealth asks that you call ahead and properly disclose any symptoms as a reason for your visit.
For those with more significant symptoms that cannot be managed at home, please call ahead and come to one of our Walk-In Clinic locations or our Emergency Department to be seen by a provider and evaluated for testing needs. COVID-19 testing at the WhidbeyHealth Walk-In Clinics in Clinton and Oak Harbor will NOT provide testing independent of a provider exam.
Your health is paramount to everything we do at WhidbeyHealth and we will do everything possible to ensure the fastest turn-around time possible for your testing and results. Please follow the above guidelines to obtain testing. Please do not arrive to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center and try to obtain a test through our Emergency Department unless you are experiencing symptoms that you cannot manage at home.
Call 911 if you have severe symptoms such as a very high fever, difficulty breathing, or inability to eat or drink.
Certified laboratories on the mainland process the swab specimens. Timing to get results from our lab partners is generally 24-72 hours but can fluctuate due to statewide demand.
If your test is positive for coronavirus, you will receive a phone call from both Island County Department of Health and WhidbeyHealth staff. You will be advised the next steps you should take to begin your recovery in quarantine or isolation. Patients receiving a positive test result can get their results on the MyWhidbeyHealth hospital portal. Patients who have a negative test result will not receive a call, and can get their results on the MyWhidbeyHealth hospital portal.
If you do not have an account on the patient portal, sign up at MyWhidbeyHealth to register. Choose the hospital portal, not the clinic portal. The portal allows patients and approved family members to:
How Can You Enroll? You must have been a patient and have a valid email address on file in order to sign-up. Patients must be 13 years of age or older. If the hospital doesn't have your current email address, please contact helpatmywhmc@whidbeyhealth.org.
With the rise of positive COVID-19 cases throughout our County, we want to make sure our community receives the testing they need, information about quarantine, and our recommendations to avoid exposure in the most transparent way possible. In this section you will find definitions and effective actions for COVID-19 related processes.
Close Contact Exposure: is identified as exposure to a COVID-19 positive person within a 6 foot distance for a total of 15 minutes over a twenty four (24) hour period and applies to any scenario when contact like this is made. The exposure timeline begins two (2) days before the COVID-19 positive person is showing any symptoms or they receive a positive test result.
General COVID-19 Testing:
Effective COVID-19 Quarantine Process:
Effective COVID-19 Isolation Process:
General Safety Recommendations:
Following these guidelines will help slow the spread of COVID-19 as most of the spread is directly linked to social gatherings and lack of face covers.
WhidbeyHealth is working with Island County Department of Health and the Washington State Department of Health to help slow the spread of COVID-19 across the county and state. We’ve taken steps to protect the health and safety of our employees throughout this pandemic, and we are continuing to look for opportunities to work with public health agencies to benefit our Whidbey Island community and beyond.
On November 30, Washington State launched WA Exposure Notifications (WA Notify). It uses smartphones to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. It is completely private, and doesn’t know or track who you are or where you go.
How does it work?
When you enable WA Notify, your smartphone exchanges random, anonymous codes with the phones of people you are near who have also enabled WA Notify. The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to exchange these random codes without revealing any information about you. If another WA Notify user you’ve been near in the last two weeks, later tests positive for COVID-19 and adds their verification code to the app, you’ll get an anonymous notification that you’ve had a possible exposure. This lets you get the care you need quickly and helps prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to the people around you.
How do I get WA Notify on my phone?
On an iPhone: Go to settings > Scroll down to Exposure Notifications > Click "Turn on Exposure Notifications" > Select United States > Select Washington
On an Android Phone: Go to the Google Play Store > Download the Washington Exposure Notifications app
For more information about Washington Exposure Notifications please visit https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/WANotify.
We are taking additional steps to keep all of our facilities safe and hygienically clean to protect both patients and staff.
All patients and staff are required to wear masks, wash their hands frequently and practice social distancing when possible.
Don’t delay addressing health concerns, even during the current pandemic. Putting off treatment may worsen your condition. If you feel unwell, contact your provider or a WhidbeyHealth clinic near you.
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about COVID-19 and Coronavirus.
It is important to understand that information about Coronavirus changes very frequently. We will do our best to keep information here up to date.
Still have questions? Send us a message via our Contact Us page or our Facebook.
Yes! Safety for our patients and staff is our first priority. Proactive measures include: fever screening on entry, universal use of masks by everyone including patients, and staff is equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for any treatment or procedure.
Every WhidbeyHealth facility is configured to make spatial distancing easy. In addition to aggressive cleaning by our Environmental Services team, we have implemented dry fogging disinfecting system to eliminate pathogens beyond the reach of sprays, wipes or UV lights.
The best thing to do is contact your primary care provider to discuss testing. Call the Coronavirus Hotline to register for swabbing: 360-240-4055.
People who are infected may have many combinations of symptoms including a fever over 100*F, alternating chills and sweating, shortness of breath, a new cough, and/or severe fatigue. This list does not include all possible symptoms. If you are concerned, contact your Primary Care Provider.
Immediately call 911 if you or a family member is experiencing:
This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please call 911 or go to the Emergency Department if you have severe symptoms.
Neighbors and friends all over Whidbey Island have risen up in support of the neighbors and friends at WhidbeyHealth who fight for the lives of COVID-19 patients and are working contain the disease.
From homemade masks to raising money for PPE to feeding our teams, we have been inspired by your support and are deeply grateful.
This fight is not over, and will continue for the foreseeable future. There are many ways to help, including donations to the WhidbeyHealth Foundation, and many non-monetary contributions of time and resources. Click here to learn more about how you can make a difference.