Resources for staff/physician exposure to COVID-19

Updated July 20, 2020

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise and threatens to overwhelm Texas hospitals and emergency departments, physicians face another stark possibility . . . exposure to SARS-CoV-2 for themselves or their employees.

The TMLT Risk Management Department has been contacted by physicians seeking guidance for positive test results or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 for themselves or their staff members. If this occurs in your practice, please follow the recommendations of the CDC and your local public health authority.

Guidance from the CDC can be found in the resources listed below. The Texas Medical Association (TMA) and the Texas DSHS have also published guidance, found below. These resources provide information about appropriate quarantine, infection control measures, and safe return-to-work protocols.

• CDC: Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Work Restrictions for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19
• CDC: Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 (Interim Guidance)
• Texas DSHS: Healthcare Personnel Return to Work Strategies
• TMA: What To Do If a Staff Member or Patient Tests Positive
• TMA: COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for Outpatient Clinics FAQs
• TMA: COVID-19: Human Resource FAQs
• List of local health entities

For more information, please visit our coronavirus resource site or contact the Risk Management Department.