This is the first year since the COVID-19 pandemic began that hospitals must independently decide if and how to implement masking, and cancer centers across the country are taking different approaches.
Some centers are requiring masking in most instances, while others said they are trying to avoid masking requirements.
Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is requiring masking for all clinical staff during direct patient care interactions.
"We strongly recommend masking for all patients and require masking if patients have respiratory symptoms," Catherine Liu, MD, associate director of infection prevention at Fred Hutch, told Becker's. "All staff with symptoms of respiratory illness have been reminded to stay home and follow guidelines for return to work. We launched a robust employee and patient flu and COVID vaccination program this past fall and we have provided RSV vaccines to high-risk patients. In our outpatient clinics and hospital, we offer patients rapid testing for flu, COVID and RSV to limit transmission and early treatment when necessary."
Baltimore-based Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins has required masking in inpatient oncology areas since Oct. 15. The center also implemented split patient flow in the center — those who have COVID-19 are treated by staff in full personal protection equipment in one area while those who are not sick are treated in other areas, Donna Berizzi, associate chief nursing officer of the oncology service line, told Becker's. On Jan. 12, several health systems in Maryland — including Johns Hopkins Medicine — went to universal masking, per the state health department's recommendations.
New Orleans, La.-based Ochsner Cancer Institute has implemented its respiratory etiquette policy, which requires masking in infusion areas and inpatient hematology and oncology units, Zoe Larned, MD, chair of hematology and oncology and medical director at the institute, told Becker's. It also requires staff to receive flu vaccines, with accommodations made for employees who must abstain, and recommend employees to stay home when symptomatic or test positive. The institute also requires masking for symptomatic patients and in some cases cancels infusion appointments if necessary. Ochsner Cancer Institute also allows only a limited number of visitors in the infusion center.
Cleveland Clinic encouraged masking in all its facilities starting in October and required masking in some particularly vulnerable inpatient cancer units such as leukemia and bone marrow transplant, a spokesperson told Becker's.
Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute closely monitors wastewater data, staff absenteeism and emergency department visits and hospitalizations to determine when to institute masking. On Dec. 18, the center reinstated masking after seeing higher rates of respiratory illness in their region, Anne Gross, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer at Dana-Farber, told Becker's.
Tampa, Fla.-based Moffitt Cancer Center is using masks only in the rooms of bone marrow transplant and leukemia patients.
"We have avoided being overzealous with mandating masks and only use that option when community levels are very high and resulting in hospital transmission," John Greene, MD, chair of the infectious disease department at Moffitt, told Becker's. "We are not restricting visitors unless community levels are extreme. The hope is to not return to those days since the worldwide immunity is so high. We are not seeing the deaths from COVID-19 like we did at the onset of the pandemic, and we now have the new norm of expecting peaks and valleys of flu, RSV and COVID-19."