Limited Visitors Again Allowed In Veterans Memorial Hospital

Posted: May 21, 2020

May 21, 2020

CONTACT:  Erin Berns at Veterans Memorial Hospital  568-3411

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Limited Visitors Again Allowed In Veterans Memorial Hospital-Some Elective Procedures Also Now Available

Veterans Memorial Hospital is carefully beginning to loosen some hospital visitor and elective procedure restrictions.

Effective immediately, hospital visitor guidelines have been changed to the following:

• Adult patients will be permitted one visitor over the age of 18 per 24-hour period. The one identified visitor per 24-hour period must be registered daily.
• The visitor can do this by entering through the main entrance of the hospital, where they will be screened prior to entering and escorted to the patient room by a staff member.
• OB will maintain the current restriction of one support person for the entire stay.
• Visitors are asked to enter the building between 10am-2pm and asked to leave no later than 4 pm.
• Visitors are always required to cover their nose and mouth with a face covering. This is without exception. Visitors who cannot tolerate a personal face covering will not be allowed to visit.
• Visitors must respect social distancing and maintain at least six feet away from others even when wearing a face covering.
• Primary support persons, visitors and healthcare decision makers who are currently experiencing or experienced any COVID-19 symptoms within the last 14 days, such as fever, cough or shortness of breath, are not permitted.
• No visitors are permitted who have had a diagnosis of COVID-19 in the last 14 days, and visitors are not allowed to visit patients being treated for COVID-19 (except in end-of-life cases).
• Approved visitor must remain in the patient’s room and be escorted by staff out of the building when ready to leave.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital has had to limit surgeries and outpatient procedures, but is now beginning to offer a few elective surgical procedures, such as colonoscopies and mammograms.

Individuals who are interested in inquiring about having one of these preventative procedures should call their provider.  The provider can then share the order for the procedure with Veterans Memorial Hospital.  Then the appointment and instructions will be shared.

The hospital will be taking the highest precautions with each and every patient, leaving appropriate time between procedures and using all personal protective equipment and protocols.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care has also resumed immunizations on an appointment-only basis.  During COVID-19, the walk-in immunization clinics will remain on hold, but for those that want to call ahead and make an appointment, they can do so by calling 563-568-5660.   When the appointment is made, instructions will be given for the private location the immunizations will be administered.

Again, the hospital stresses that anyone coming into the hospital wear a face mask.  Also anyone not feeling well is asked to please call the hospital to reschedule their elective procedure.

For more information, please contact Veterans Memorial Hospital at 568-3411.

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