BUFFALO, N.Y. — Healthcare providers are essential during the COVID-19 outbreak, and they're making changes so people still can get the care they need and stay safe.
2 On Your Side spoke with one of the leaders at BryLin Behavioral Health System on Monday to find out how the pandemic has changed the way they allow patients to see their families.
BryLin Behavioral Health is responding to the coronavirus outbreak by offering its services in different ways.
To accommodate visits with family members - because they're following CDC guidelines and not doing in-person visits right now - they're doing a lot of video chats - normally what could be a phone call is now a FaceTime or Skype visit. BryLin's Director of Social Services says it's important for families to connect this way.
"I think that especially when we are in this time of crisis and people are stressed, there's a lot of fear anxiety around the pandemic right now, their families, of course, are really important to them, and we also don't want that to divert people from getting care, so, you know, when you do come to BryLin Hospital, we have these options available so you still can have that family contact," said Director of Social Services Genevieve Gibson.
BryLin has not seen an uptick in requests for its services yet, but Gibson says her team is anticipating that could happen, and BryLin is accepting new patients.