People can visit hospital, clinic patients starting Thursday, Providence says
People who wish to visit patients at Providence hospitals and clinics can resume doing so from Thursday onward.
Providence Southwest announced the policy change on Wednesday after barring visitors for just over 14 months due to COVID-19 concerns. The healthcare provider will only allow one “essential support person” to visit each patient provided they screen negative for COVID-19 symptoms, according to Providence spokesperson Angela Maki.
“At Providence we have always felt that families and loved ones of patients are a large part of the healing process,” Maki wrote. “We are confident we have all the safety precautions in place to keep all patients, caregivers and essential support persons safe within our facilities.”
Visitors must be 18 years or older, always wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of physical distancing, according to a letter to patients. Upon entry, each visitor will be asked if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or have any related symptoms, per the letter.
Once inside, visitors must wear a screening badge and stay in the patient’s room or assigned care area, according to the letter. If someone leaves their assigned area, they will not be allowed to return that same day with few exceptions, per the letter.
Visitors will only be allowed to re-enter a facility or a patient’s room if the patient is receiving an in-room procedure, being sent out of a room for a procedure or expected to die within 12 to 24 hours, according to the letter.
Re-entry is also allowed for patients in the Family Birth Center, Special Care Nursery and Pediatrics, per the letter.
When someone leaves a facility, the letter says, they must check out with screening personnel. Anyone who fails to comply with the safety guidelines will be removed, according to the letter.
When asked how Providence plans to remove non-compliant visitors, Maki told The Olympian Providence is just asking people to voluntarily comply with the guidelines at this time.
“If an essential support person feels that their circumstances require additional consideration, then we have a visitor exception team that can review the case and provide guidance to the patient and their essential support person,” Maki wrote.
Visitors are still prohibited from seeing patients with COVID-19, the letter says, but some visitors may be permitted on a per-case basis if the patient is expected to die.
Anyone who enters a Providence facility must wear a mask. Although masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated individuals in many settings, current state guidance still calls for masks in certain settings, such as healthcare settings, jails and prisons, homeless shelters and schools.
A person is only considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received a second dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or a one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Providence has more specific guidelines for certain hospital inpatient units and on-campus outpatient areas outlined in their letter.
- At the hospital Critical Care Unit, Progressive Care Unit, Medical and Surgical Inpatient Units and Central Observation Unit, each visitor will be limited to two hours between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- At the Family Birth Center and Obstetrics Emergency Triage, there will be no time limits for visitors and one to two support persons can visit through the stay. A professional doula will also be allowed to be with a patient throughout labor.
- At the Special Care Nursery and Pediatrics unit, no time limits will be imposed and only one to two parents or guardians may visit throughout each patient’s stay.
- At the Emergency Department there will be no time limits but only one support person will be allowed per patient.
- The Therapies area will limit visit length to two hours.
- The Radiology area will allow one visitor per patient during a procedure.
- The Oncology/Infusion area will prohibit visitors in the Infusion or Radiation areas except for patients with cognitive and/or ambulatory impairment.
Similar guidelines will be in place at Providence Medical Group clinics, according to the letter.
- Primary and specialty care clinics will only allow one visitor per patient during an office visit. Visitors must check in with a receptionist for COVID-19 screening.
- The Oncology area will prohibit visitors in the Infusion or Radiation areas except for patients with cognitive and/or ambulatory impairment
This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 4:28 PM.
