News Detail

Updated August 2021-

To All Christie Clinic Obstetric Patients and Their Families:

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic locally, regionally and nationally. Cases locally have risen significantly recently.  The Delta Variant is responsible for this significant increase.  At the end of June, there were under 50 active cases of COVID 19 in Champaign County.  Currently, there are almost 800 cases in Champaign County alone. 

The following is information regarding the Delta Variant from the CDC.

“The Delta variant is more contagious: The Delta variant is highly contagious, more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.

Some data suggest the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons. In two different studies from Canada and Scotland, patients infected with the Delta variant were more likely to be hospitalized than patients infected with Alpha or the original virus strains.

Unvaccinated people remain the greatest concern: Although breakthrough infections happen much less often than infections in unvaccinated people, individuals infected with the Delta variant, including fully vaccinated people with symptomatic breakthrough infections, can transmit it to others. CDC is continuing to assess data on whether fully vaccinated people with asymptomatic breakthrough infections can transmit. However, the greatest risk of transmission is among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract, and therefore transmit the virus.

Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others. However, vaccinated people appear to be infectious for a shorter period: Previous variants typically produced less virus in the body of infected fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) than in unvaccinated people. In contrast, the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. However, like other variants, the amount of virus produced by Delta breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated people also goes down faster than infections in unvaccinated people. This means fully vaccinated people are likely infectious for less time than unvaccinated people.”

As we learn more about COVID-19, it is clear that pregnant women with COVID-19 have a higher risk of ICU admission, need for ventilator support and death compared to non-pregnant women. 

The local healthcare system can easily become overwhelmed as hospitalizations rise.  Carle has already started declining transports from outside facilities due to bed and staffing limitations.  The medical system is very fragile right now.  There are no plans from the government to go back to any of the mitigation levels used in the past.  The only way to slow the spread of the virus and decrease the burden on the hospital system is through vaccination.

 

This announcement will summarize our current recommendations regarding COVID-19. 

• The best protection you have against COVID 19 during your pregnancy is vaccination. The Pfizer vaccine is now FDA approved.  The vaccine is strongly recommended for all pregnant women, lactating women or women attempting pregnancy. You do not need a doctor’s note to receive the vaccine. You can set this up directly through Walgreen’s or CVS. The vaccine is free.

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, body aches, shortness of breath) or have had a close contact test positive for COVID-19, please call the office. Christie Clinic has a streamlined process for evaluation and testing to maximize your safety and minimize exposure to other patients. You will still be able to have access to your prenatal care during your time in quarantine if you test positive for COVID. Your provider will discuss our specific process to make sure that all of your care is continued during quarantine.

• The hospital Emergency Departments are currently overwhelmed with patients. Please call the office before you present to Labor and Delivery or the Emergency Room. If you have an emergent problem, then we will discuss the safest way for you to be evaluated at the hospital. We will call ahead to the hospital to let them know you are on your way and what your needs are. If you have a non-emergent problem, we will make arrangements for you to be seen timely in the office. We have providers scheduled daily with same-day access to accommodate your needs.  Please call the office at 217-366-1255 to be triaged appropriately. 

• For EMERGENCY needs after-hours and over the weekend: For patients that are under 20 weeks gestation, please call 217-366-1255. The nurse midwife or physician on call will return your call and discuss your concerns. For patients that are over 20 weeks gestation, please call the hospital where you plan to deliver. The nurses there will triage you and help determine if you need evaluation at the hospital.
  
  • If you are planning to delivery at Carle Foundation Hospital, please call (217) 383-3305.

• Please buy or borrow a blood pressure cuff for home use. One of the requirements for us to consider you a candidate for a Tele-Health visit during pregnancy is that you have a blood pressure cuff. Your blood pressure is one of the most important measurements we take during your pregnancy. Elevation in blood pressure is a marker of pre-eclampsia.  Pre-eclampsia is a disease unique to pregnancy and most often happens in the third trimester. It can be dangerous for you and your baby. It can be associated with headache, blurry vision, and upper abdominal pain. These symptoms generally develop late in the course of pre-eclampsia, and elevated blood pressure may be the first sign of pre-eclampsia. 

• We strongly recommend that if you have the option of working from home that you consider doing this. If you need a note to your employer with this recommendation, please send a portal message to your provider or call our receptionist. This is not a medical necessity that would qualify for FMLA unless you have an active health problem.

• If you are experiencing long phone times, please consider sending a message through the portal, and we will contact you as quickly as possible.

• Video Visits are going very smoothly. We plan to continue to offer this as an alternative to an in-person visit for patients that qualify for this. We have the option to send the link for the Video Visit to your smartphone or over email.  The requirement is that the device have a camera and microphone. You do not need to download any special APPs on your device to complete these visits. You can expect a phone call from your provider close to the time of your scheduled visit. These visits will be billed to insurance just like an in-person visit. We can also do many visits over the phone if that is your preference.

• You can now check-in for your visits electronically. It eliminates the pre-screening phone call prior to your visit. Starting 48 hours before your appointment, you can log in to your Patient Portal to complete the ‘e-check in’ process. You will verify your name, address, phone number, and insurance information as well as making any updates or changes at that time.  It will also include the COVID prescreening questions which will eliminate the pre-screen phone call. Once you have completed the ‘e-check in’, we will review your prescreening questions and call if there are any issues or concerns.  You may also receive a text message with a link to the prescreen questions if you are opted in for text communications.  This will ask the pre-screening questions as well and will eliminate a phone call from the office the day before your appointment.

• Visitor Policies:
  • Christie Clinic Office Visits: A maximum of 1 support person will be allowed at your visit. We would like to minimize the number of people in the building. Please refrain from bringing children with you to the office. We do not want you to cancel your visit if you don’t have childcare.  We are willing to see you in the office if you must bring your children, or we would be happy to rearrange your visit to another time on the same day or another day if that would be easier for you to arrange childcare.  We are a family friendly office and hope to allow you to bring your family and children back to the office soon.
  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Office Visits at Carle: One support person will be allowed at your visits. 
  • Carle Labor and Delivery: Carle Hospital will allow two support people during the stay. It must be the same two people. Those people will be allowed to come and go from the floor during your stay. You and one of your support people will be provided meal trays throughout your stay. Carle is still not allowing siblings to visit.
  • If your support person is currently positive for COVID or under quarantine / isolation through IDPH, they will not be allowed in the office or hospital until they are released by IDPH.

• Things we are doing to minimize your exposure:
  • COVID screening all patients prior to arrival. As noted above, you will be able to check in on your portal starting 48 hours prior to your appointment. The online check-in on your portal is listed under “E-Check-in”.  This will go through the COVID screening questions and registration questions. If you complete the online check-in, you will be able to bypass the central registration on the first floor and come directly to the OB/GYN department desk on the 2^nd floor when you arrive. If you do not complete the online check-in, then you will receive a phone call for the COVID screening. 
  • If you have a mask at home, please wear it to your visit. If you do not have a mask, ONE WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT PERSON at entry to the building.
  • All of our team members will be wearing masks.
  • We ask that you wait in your car until 10-15 minutes before your appointment time. You and your visitor will be screened in our department with questions and a temperature check. Our waiting room seating is set up for social distancing and seating is cleaned after use. We are trying to minimize your time in the waiting room. If you have been waiting more than ten minutes, please notify our receptionist.

• Breastfeeding Classes:
  • Christie Clinic offers in-person breastfeeding classes. These classes will be limited in size to allow for social distancing in the room. These classes will be done in a room large enough to maintain social distancing.
  • Currently, the classes are held at: Christie Clinic Leadership Center, 206 West White Street Champaign, IL 61820
  • Theresa Hardy, IBCLC: Theresa teaches the free breastfeeding classes through Christie Clinic. Please call the office to sign up for these classes.
    • She is willing to provide one on one consults with patients who are breastfeeding via ZOOM. You can email her directly at: thardy@nurturedb@gmail.com to arrange these visits.
  • Carle: Call the Carle Lactation Center at 217-326-2610. Press Option #1 and leave a message. They will return your call to arrange a one on one visit as an outpatient.

• Current hospital policies at the local hospitals:
  • All patients will be tested for COVID at admission.
  • You will be required to wear a mask at all times when hospital staff, nurses, midwives or physicians are in the room. This includes during labor and delivery.
  • Your support person will be required to wear a mask at all times when hospital staff, nurses, midwives or physicians are in the room.

• Isolation at term:
  • We recommend that you minimize your contact with people outside of your immediate family starting at 37 weeks until delivery to minimize your risk of exposure to COVID-19 prior to your delivery.

• Childbirth Education Classes: 
  • Currently in-person education classes are suspended at Carle Foundation Hospital.
  • Carle is offering classes via ZOOM. These can be found on their website at:
    https://carle.org/Events/category/All-About-Baby
  • Your provider can send educational video links to your portal. Your provider will discuss this with you at future visits.

• Testing for COVID prior to admission:
  • Since 4/28/20, we have been screening all of our patients that are scheduled for induction of labor or cesarean section for COVID-19 prior to admission to the hospital. This test will be arranged via one of the drive-thru clinics 72 hours prior to admission. Patients are then asked to isolate at home from the time of the test until admission. Your support person does not need to be tested prior to admission.

• Hospital Tours:
  • Carle has not yet resumed tours.

• Centering:
  • We are continuing our recruitment for Centering Prenatal Care. Sessions will be in-person and socially distanced.
  • Centering is group prenatal care that starts at 16 weeks and continues through your pregnancy. It is not a complete substitute for your one-on-one visits with your provider. You will still have one-on-one visits with your provider.  This is an excellent option for mothers who would like additional education and support.  It offers comprehensive prenatal education in a small group setting with participants that are at the same gestational age.  If you are interested in learning more about Centering, please discuss this with your provider at your next visit.
  • For more information on Centering, please visit: https://www.centeringhealthcare.org/

As the situation changes locally, we will keep you informed of new recommendations and information. 

The best tool we have for quick updates is the patient portal.  Mass portal messages can be tricky, and we apologize if some of you have received this message more than once or if this letter no longer applies to your situation. 

Sincerely,

Christie Clinic Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic locally, regionally and nationally. Cases locally and nationally have been increasing in terms of new cases. 

Locally, it will be very easy to overwhelm the healthcare system with even a small surge of patients requiring hospitalization.  For example, a surge of more than 50 patients requiring ICU services would be enough to overwhelm our local resources.  The virus is here indefinitely, and until we have an effective treatment or vaccine, we must remain vigilant to protect each other.

This update will summarize our current recommendations regarding COVID-19.  There are some changes to this announcement, therefore, please read thoroughly.

1. Our strongest recommendation is to continue to minimize interaction with other people. It is very tempting to see neighbors, visit family, go out to dinner, etc., however,  all of these activities increase your risk of exposure.  The smaller you can make your circle of connections, the safer you and your baby will be.  Each person has their own unique set of circumstances to think about in terms of who you see and where you go.  If you must interact with people outside of your immediate family, it is extremely important to wear a mask and maintain social distance.  Even if the event is outside, you need to wear a mask if you cannot maintain social distance from other people. If you have questions about this, please talk to your provider at your next visit or send a portal message. 
2. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, body aches, shortness of breath) or have had a close contact test positive for COVID-19, please call the office. Christie Clinic has a streamlined process for evaluation and testing to maximize your safety and minimize exposure to other patients.
3. Please call the office before you present to Labor and Delivery or the Emergency Room. If you have an emergent problem, then we will discuss the safest way for you to be evaluated at the hospital. We will call ahead to the hospital to let them know you are on your way and notify them of your needs.  If you have a non-emergent problem, we will make arrangements for you to be seen timely in the office.  We have providers scheduled daily with same-day access to accommodate your needs.  Please call the office at 217-366-1255 to be triaged appropriately.  After-hours and over the weekend, this same number will connect to the answering service, who will then page the provider on-call. The provider will call you back to discuss your symptoms to make sure your needs are met.
4. Please buy or borrow a blood pressure cuff for home use. One of the requirements for us to consider you a candidate for a Tele-Health visit during pregnancy is that you have a blood pressure cuff.  Your blood pressure is one of the most important measurements we take during your pregnancy.  Elevation in blood pressure is a marker of pre-eclampsia.  Pre-eclampsia is a disease unique to pregnancy and most often happens in the third trimester. It can be dangerous for you and your baby. It can be associated with headache, blurry vision, and upper abdominal pain.  These symptoms generally develop late in the course of pre-eclampsia, and elevated blood pressure may be the first sign of pre-eclampsia.
5. We recommend that if you have the option of working from home for the foreseeable future, that you consider doing so. If you need a note to your employer with this recommendation, please send a portal message to your provider or call our receptionist. This is not a medical necessity that would qualify for FMLA unless you have an active health problem.
6. Travel Precautions: As surrounding states lift restrictions, many patients are tempted to travel regionally or nationally. Travel increases your risk of contracting COVID-19. If you are planning to travel, we recommend that you wear a mask in public places, maintain social distancing and continue frequent hand washing. Please check the CDC websites for travel information. It is recommended that you quarantine for 14 days after international travel.
   1. For international travel- please click here. 
   2. For domestic travel- please click here. 
7. We try to accommodate our patients’ needs in a timely manner. If you are experiencing long phone times, please consider sending a message through the portal, and we will contact you as quickly as possible.
8. Video Visits are going very smoothly. We plan to continue to offer this as an alternative to an in-person visit for patients that qualify. We have the option to send the link for the Video Visit to your smartphone or over email.  The requirement is that the device has a camera and microphone.  You do not need to download any special App on your device to complete these visits. You can expect a phone call from your provider close to the time of your scheduled visit. These visits will be billed to insurance just like an in-person visit. We can also do many visits over the phone if that is your preference. Also see below on our prenatal option for Centering Pregnancy. 
9. We highly encourage you to limit your chances of exposure by practicing social distancing, wearing a mask in public, frequent hand washing, leaving the house only for absolute essential travel, etc. With this in mind, a maximum of 1 support person will be allowed at your visit. Please refrain from bringing children with you to the office. We do not want you to cancel your visit if you don’t have childcare.  We are willing to see you in the office if you must bring your children, or we would be happy to rearrange your visit to another time on the same day or another day if that would be easier for you to arrange childcare.  We are a family-friendly office and hope to allow you to bring your family and children back to the office soon.
10. Things we are doing to minimize your exposure:
    • If you have had a fever in the past 48 hours or have upper respiratory infection symptoms, please call the office before coming to your appointment.
    • If you have a mask at home (N95, ear loop mask or cloth mask), please wear it to your visit. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided to you and your support person upon entry to the building. We will not be able to see you in the office without a mask.
    • All of our team members will be wearing masks.
    • We ask that you wait in your car until 5 minutes before your appointment time. You and your visitor will be screened in our department with questions and a temperature check. Our waiting room seating is set up for social distancing and seating is cleaned after use. We are trying to minimize your time in the waiting room. If you are experiencing long wait times, please notify our receptionist.
    • If you need a lab draw, it will be done in your exam room rather than going up to the lab.
    • If you only need a lab draw or injection, it can be done in your car.
    • Patients with upper respiratory symptoms will be directed to Christie Clinic Convenient Care on Windsor and Mattis in Champaign. There are covered parking spots there. Once in the parking spot, there is a sign with the number to call, and a provider will come out to see the patient in their car.

11. Breastfeeding Classes

• We have resumed in-person classes for breastfeeding. These classes will be limited in size to allow for social distancing in the room. These classes will be done in a room large enough to maintain social distancing.  Currently, the classes are held at the Christie Clinic Leadership Center, located at 206 West White Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Parking is located at the corner of White Street and State Street. 
• Theresa Hardy, IBCLC: Theresa teaches the free breastfeeding classes through Christie Clinic. Please call the office to sign up for these classes.
• She is willing to provide one-on-one consults with patients who are breastfeeding via ZOOM. You can email her directly at: thardy@nurturedb@gmail.com to arrange these visits.
• OSF: Call the OSF Breastfeeding Resource Center 309-683-6672 for information to arrange outpatient visits. The local hospital lactation team can see you after delivery for one on one visits.
• Carle: Currently the lactation department is providing phone visits.

12. Current visitor policies at the local hospitals since 7/20/20:

• Please have your support person wear a mask at all times when hospital staff, nurses, midwives or physicians are in the room. You will not be required to wear a mask in labor unless you have symptoms of COVID-19.
• OSF will allow one support person during the stay. It must be the same person. That person will NOT be allowed to come and go from the hospital. They must stay with you the entire stay. The hospitals will provide meal trays to your support person. They will not be allowed to leave the unit, go to the cafeteria, move throughout the hospital, go outside to smoke or leave the building. 
• Carle will allow one support person during the entire length of stay. It must be the same person. The preference is that this person stays with you in your room the entire stay. The hospital has recently updated their policy (11/16/20) that the support person cannot leave the unit. The hospitals will provide meal trays to your support person.

13. Isolation at term: We recommend that you isolate at home starting at 37 weeks until delivery to minimize your risk of exposure to COVID-19 prior to your delivery. Please discuss your specific work situation with your provider to develop a plan. 

14. Childbirth Education Classes:  

• Currently in-person education classes are suspended at both OSF and Carle Foundation Hospital.
• Carle is offering classes via ZOOM. These can be found on their website. 
• Your provider can send educational video links to your portal. Your provider will discuss this with you at future visits.

15. Testing for COVID prior to admission:

• Since 4/28/20, we have been screening all of our patients that are scheduled for induction of labor or cesarean section for COVID-19 prior to admission to the hospital. This test will be arranged via one of the drive-thru clinics 72 hours prior to admission. Patients are then asked to isolate at home from the time of the test until admission.
• Your support person does not need to be tested prior to admission. 

16. Hospital tours: 

• OSF has resumed tours of labor and delivery. You can schedule a tour of the unit by calling 217-337-2123.
• There is also a short video tour of OSF  here. 
• Carle has not yet resumed tours.

17. Centering Pregnancy: We are continuing our recruitment for Centering Prenatal Care. These sessions are conducted over Zoom.

• Centering is group prenatal care that starts at 16 weeks and continues through your pregnancy. It is not a complete substitute for your one-on-one visits with your provider. It offers comprehensive prenatal education in a small group setting with participants that are at the same gestational age.  If you are interested in learning more about Centering Pregnancy, please discuss this with your provider at your next visit.
• For more information on our Centering Pregnancy sessions, please click here or visit the Centering Healthcare Institute page. 

As the situation changes locally, we will keep you informed of new recommendations and information.  The best tool we have for quick updates is the patient portal.  Mass portal messages can be tricky, and we apologize if some of you have received this message more than once or if this letter no longer applies to your situation. 

Sincerely,

Christie Clinic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology