Visitor Guidelines

Temporary visitation and caregiver guidance during COVID-19 Pandemic

Our mission is to protect the health and safety of our patients and staff from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. More detailed information is available on the Alerts page.

Updated as of 7/14/2022

The goal of this visitation guidance is to protect medical staff and beneficiaries from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19. The local HPCON level and medical necessity may dictate processes that are more restrictive than shown below.

Definitions    

Visitor – relative, partner, friend, or colleague that is a guest of an inpatient. 
Caregiver – relative, partner, or friend of the patient (or parent/guardian) over the age of 17, who chooses to provide assistance with transportation, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and/or cognitive needs of the patient in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Included in this category are members of Military Chain of Command or Supervision responsible for the health, welfare, or oversight of a patient who is a uniformed service member.
PUI – patient under investigation for COVID-19

Inpatients

All inpatient caregivers will be required to review and sign in at the nurse’s station confirming they will adhere to all public health and infection control procedures, to include:

• Wear a mask in accordance with current hospital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) policy at all times.
• Maintain six feet of physical distancing within the patient room as much as possible.
• Perform hand hygiene immediately upon entering and leaving the patient room.
• Limit movement to other areas of the hospital except as necessary for transit to and from the patient room.
• Acknowledge potential risk of exposure to and acquisition of COVID-19 infection while in the hospital.
• Undergo a daily COVID/influenza-like illness symptom screening by ward staff.
• Acknowledge that failure to adhere to these requirement may lead to having their visitation rights revoked. 

Adult Inpatients

• No visitors will be permitted on the adult inpatient ward.
• No “Patients Under Investigation (PUI)” or COVID-19 positive caregivers are permitted to visit the adult inpatient ward.
• End of Life Care – Identified when care has been transitioned to comfort-only directed care or patient death is imminent despite medical interventions as deemed by the medical team. Two visitors are allowed at a time.
• Two caregivers are permitted for all inpatients.
• Two caregivers are permitted for patients undergoing emergency surgery or procedure.
• Caregiver transit is restricted to the surgical waiting area and the patient room.
• Exceptions to the above may be made on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions do not apply for Patients Under Investigation (PUI) or COVID-19 positive patients. No caregivers are allowed for adult COVID-19 positive patients or PUIs except by Directorate-level Exception to Policy.
  • Exceptions for end-of-life/withdrawal of care permitted wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (just-in-time PPE training will be provided by care team).

Pediatric Inpatients

• No visitors will be permitted on the Pediatric Inpatient Ward.
• The family of each pediatric patient is allowed two primary caregivers.
• At least one caregiver should be the parent or legal guardian.
• Only one caregiver may stay overnight.
• PUI or COVID-19 positive caregivers are permitted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the healthcare team, if they are the parent or legal guardian. If the PUI or COVID-19 positive caregivers are allowed, patient may need to placed on PUI precautions.
• If a caregiver develops symptoms of COVID-19, the caregiver will undergo testing, and the pediatric patient will be treated as a PUI.
• Pediatric patients hospitalized as a PUI or confirmed COVID-19 positive will be allowed only one designated caregiver who should stay with the patient in their room during the patient’s stay.
  • The caregiver may order inpatient meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) for him/herself and the tray should be delivered to the room.
• Exceptions to the above may be made on a case-by-case basis by Directorate-level Exception to Policy.

Special Care Nursery (SCN) Patients

• No visitors will be permitted into the SCN.
• Special Care Nursery patients' families are permitted to name up to two primary caregivers for the duration of the hospital stay. Those designated as such cannot change during the patient's hospitalization.
• The caregivers should be parents or legal guardians.
• All caregivers must wear a hospital issued mask when in the SCN.
• No PUI or COVID-19 positive caregivers are permitted to visit the SCN.
• PUI or COVID-19 positive caregivers may visit in the SCN once ALL of the following criteria are met:
  • Ten days have elapsed since symptoms first appeared or individual had COVID positive test.
  • If immunocompromised or recovered from COVID-19 requiring a hospital admission, 20 days have elapsed since symptoms first appeared or individual had COVID positive test.
  • Resolution of fever without the use of antipyretics for at least 24 hours.
  • Improvement in COVID symptoms.
    • Exceptions on a case-by-case basis may include critically ill infant or end of-life care (at the discretion of the attending Neonatology and nursing staff).

Obstetric Patients

• No visitors will be permitted into the obstetric ward.
• One caregiver will be permitted during the Labor and Delivery triage process. Once the patient has been admitted, two designated caregivers will be permitted, during labor and delivery.
• Three designated caregivers for postpartum patients are permitted once the patient transitions to the postpartum unit, after delivery and the mother duration of mother's hospital stay.
• The designated caregivers should remain in the patient's room as much as possible. Exception for visitation of infant in the Special Care Nursery (see Special Care Nursery section).
  • A pre-printed band will be placed on the wrist of the designated caregivers. Wrist bands must be worn at all times and cannot be shared.
• Post-partum patients (re-admitted after discharge from delivery), can have two designated caregivers and newborn as long as at least one caregivers is present to care for newborn.
  • Only one caregiver can stay overnight with patient.
• One caregiver will be permitted for obstetric patients who are PUI or COVID-19 positive.
  • Exceptions for end-of-life/withdrawal of care, stillbirth, peri-viable delivery, expected life-limiting or life-threatening condition for the newborn, or mother. One caregiver at a time is permitted wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (just-in-time PPE training will be provided by care team).
  • This caregiver will not travel anywhere else in the hospital.

All Outpatient Services

• One caregiver will be permitted to accompany adult outpatients in order to facilitate care or treatment.
• An exception for pediatric patients authorizes a second caregiver and/or minor siblings to be permitted at the discretion of the treating provider so long as their presence does not disrupt the provision of care.
• For the safety of our patients, caregivers will not be permitted in our cancer infusion suites where care is being delivered. One designated caregiver may be allowed with a pediatric patient undergoing an outpatient infusion, provided that caregiver screens negative for COVID-19 symptoms.

Emergency Department

• For the safety of our patients, one (1) caregiver per patient will be permitted into the Emergency Department (ED) lobby and exam room to provide additional history to optimize the patient’s medical care and assist with disposition.
• The family of each pediatric patient is allowed to name up to two primary caregivers for the duration of the ED stay. Designated caregivers will not change during the patient’s ED visit. Visitors who are not identified as caregivers of ED patients, will not be allowed to remain in the ED lobby.

If you’re unable to follow the visitation policy, please discuss other care options with your provider or reschedule your appointment by calling the appointment line at 1-855-227-6331