Denver Hospital Advises Staff On Dealing With Anti-Maskers: 'Set The Tone ... Keep Calm'

DENVER (CBS4) - Denver Health on Monday advised staff members on "How to manage Patient/Visitor Pushback Against Masking, Visitor Policies" with a half dozen talking points "for staff who may encounter patient and/or visitor frustrations with our Visitor Policy or safety measures on masking and social distancing." The communication was part of a broader hospital update on COVID-19 issues, which is issued to staff members on a daily basis. The hospital this week limited hours for patient visits.

The guidelines suggested hospital staff 'Set the tone' and use clear and caring language on why mask and visitor policies are important.

"If patient raises his/her/their voice, continue to keep calm and use a respectful tone," advised hospital administrators. "Communicate... with compassion," suggested hospital administrators.

Another guideline was to "apologize for the inconvenience" but let visitors know mask and visitor policies are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of patients, staff and the entire community and to protect vulnerable patients and staff who are taking care of sick and infected patients.

For patients and visitors who "become aggressive or you feel threatened," employees are advised to call security.

"Mask wearing and social distancing is considered a necessary step in COVID-19 infection control," advised DHMC, "and is required in all health care settings."