RWJUH COVID-19 Update
March 16, 2020
TO: All Members of the RWJUH Family
FROM: John J. Gantner, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
RE: RWJUH COVID-19 Update

Following is the latest in our ongoing updates related to COVID-19 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH):

  • Due to the 8 p.m. – 5 a.m. daily curfew that has been implemented statewide by Governor Phil Murphy and the new visitation policy currently in effect, it is imperative that hospital employees & Medical Staff have their identification badges with them at all times when traveling to and from RWJUH and on campus.

  • Effective today, Monday, March 16, a new visitation policy was implemented. With only a few exceptions, no visitors are allowed at RWJUH until further notice. The exceptions are outlined and include pediatrics, maternity and same-day surgery units, among others. To review the current policy online, please visit New Visitation Guidelines.

  • All volunteer activities at RWJUH have also been suspended until May 1. 

  • Our clinical educators are providing fit testing for alternative masks from 8:00 AM–8:00 PM, Monday through Friday and on a limited weekend basis in the Large Private Dining Room. Since last Thursday, we have fit tested 642 employees with an emphasis on our Emergency Department, SBMU and ICU staff. The goal is to eventually have all providers fit tested. If a provider fails his/her fit test, they should continue to use the current masks, which are available for the time being. If you have questions about fit testing please contact Kathy Zavotsky at [email protected].

  • CLICK HERE for the latest Daily Briefing Report that is sent out from the RWJBH corporate offices. The briefing contains additional up-to-date information regarding the impact of COVID-19.

For more information or if you have any questions about COVID-19: e-mail [email protected] . 

Our leadership team is committed to providing the safest possible environment for team members and patients. We are confident in our efforts to date but are continually looking for ways to improve the environment of care. If you have any suggestions or observations related to improving our COVID-19 readiness, please contact the command center at ext. 3810.

I continue to be impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the RWJUH team in responding to this health crisis. Thank you for all you do.
RWJUH COVID Testing Guidelines
RWJUH is conducting a LIMITED number of COVID-19 tests in-house.

ALL REQUESTS FOR COVID-19 TESTING MUST GO THROUGH INFECTION PREVENTION .

The NEW phone number for testing approval is 732-675-1056 .

Outpatient testing remains extremely limited/unavailable, though commercial testing development is fluid.

--Guidelines For Other Testing For COVID 19-Positive Patients--

Please be thoughtful in your ordering of tests for COVID 19-positive patients. If a test is not absolutely necessary, consider the potential exposure risk for other staff members involved in completing the testing.
RWJUH COVID Situational Update
As of 12:00 PM, RWJUH had 6 COVID 19-positive patients in the hospital. Tests on additional patients and potential discharges of positive patients were pending. At least three COVID 19-positive inpatient have recovered and been discharged.

RWJUH has had 10 COVID 19-positive tests to date.

As of 1:00 PM, the NJ Dept. of Health is reporting 178 COVID 19-positive patients in the state. Of those, 17 positive patients are in Middlesex County, 14 are in Monmouth County, and 5 are in Somerset County. A total of 14 counties in NJ have at least 1 positive patient.

CLICK HERE for the NJ DOH's county-by-county tracking page.
Communication With Families
Given the visitor restrictions in place, communication with patient families is as important as ever. For many families, they will be dropping a loved on off to have surgery, or they have a family member in the ICU -- and they may not be able to see them at all.

Please consider utilizing technology , such as FaceTime, when communicating with patient family members, especially if being done bedside.
Scientific Reviews
These links are provided solely for your consideration. The RWJUH Medical Staff Office is not providing these as recommendations for care of patients.





Daily Video Briefings
Every morning, a video briefing by Dr. Jim Salwitz will be released, providing an update on COVID-19 activity at RWJUH and the implementation of the hospital's action plan.

BOOKMARK THIS PAGE and check daily for updates. New briefings will be posted at approximately 8:00 AM.

Have questions? Email [email protected] and please CC Chris Hoenig and we will try to ensure they are also included in our daily Video Briefings.
RWJUH Restricted Access
In addition to the new visitor restrictions, you will begin to notice additional doors being locked/made swipe access only throughout the campus. This includes the entrances to the East Tower , and connections with other buildings on our campus.

Please have your ID visible at all times.

More changes are likely in the coming days. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.

In the interest of both patient safety and your own exposure risks, please be thoughtful about your movement within the hospital, especially transitioning from inpatient areas to outpatient and ambulatory spaces.
Additional Updates
  • Care of all COVID 19-positive inpatients will be transferred to a dedicated team of hospitalists. This will ensure the highest quality care for patients, while simultaneously reducing the risk of exposure for our clinicians. If you have any questions, please email Dr. Sheraz Siddiqui, Chief of Hospital Medicine, or Dr. James Salwitz, Medical Staff President.

  • RWJUH continues to prepare tents outside of the Emergency Department for use in screening patients arriving at our ED. These tents are being outfitted with telemedicine equipment to lower the risk of exposure to clinicians. We expect these tents to be operational shortly.
Additional Useful Resources