Cerner temporarily closed its Realization campus in Kansas City, Mo., on March 17 after being notified that one of the EHR vendor's employees tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement emailed to Becker's Hospital Review, a Cerner spokesperson said the company is implementing precautions, including notifying staff who were in contact with the employee and asking those individuals to self-quarantine.
On Tuesday afternoon, the company closed its Realization campus, which will remain closed until it is cleaned and disinfected. Cerner has four campuses in Kansas City – its headquarters, Innovations campus, Realization campus and Continuous campus. The company is home to more than 29,000 global employees, about 14,000 of which are based in Kansas City, according to the Kansas City Star.
"Some offices remain open for associates who require being physically present to support health systems worldwide," the Cerner spokesperson said in the statement. "[On the afternoon of March 17] Cerner closed the Realization campus in Kansas City and relocated any non-exposed associates to another Cerner campus for their critical work to continue, implementing social distancing to help reduce risk of exposure… Protecting associates' health and continuing to meet our health care clients' needs are our top priorities."
Earlier this week, Cerner announced various strategies in response to the coronavirus pandemic, including asking all its employees globally who can work from home to do so through March 30. The company said its offices will remain open for staff whose work requires them being physically present.