Springfield Hospitals’ Visitation Policy is designed to safeguard visitors, patients and staff by limiting face-to-face contact when faced with the threat of contracting and/or spreading illness.
General Visitation to Springfield Hospital Patient Care areas:
- Visitors are restricted to two per patient at all times.
- Visitors are restricted to those over the age of 16.
- All visitors must enter the building through either the Main Entrance or the Emergency Department Entrance.
- Visitors will be screened for respiratory symptoms by the Front Desk Receptionist, Outpatient Registration, Emergency Room Registration, the Charge Nurse in the Emergency Room, or the Receptionist in the Radiology/Ambulatory Care waiting area. Visitors accompanying patients to appointments within the building can be screened by either the Front Desk Receptionist or Registration.
- Screened visitors will receive a visitor’s badge. This badge indicates that they have been screened for respiratory symptoms.
- If the visitor answers yes to having respiratory symptoms, they will be asked to postpone their visit until they are free of symptoms.
- Any patient without a visitors badge needs to be directed to the screening area before they can return to the patient care areas for their visit.
Visitors to Confirmed COVID-19 Patients:
- All visitors are screened for respiratory illness every time, according to the steps outlined above.
- General visitation is discouraged. Visitors can be considered in the case of a patient emergency or rapid deterioration of patient condition.
- Schedule visits as needed.
- Efforts will be made to assist patients with phone equipment, video calls, etc., to limit feelings of isolation.
- All visitors should wear the same personal protective equipment (PPE) as covered by the High Threat Infection Hospital Management Policy. This includes Contact, Airborne and Eye protection.
- Instructions will be given to visitors before they enter the room on hand hygiene, limiting surfaces touched, and the use of their PPE.
- Visitors to these patients should limit movement within the facility. Visits to the cafeteria or other areas are discouraged.
Ridgewood Office Building Practices (Orthopaedics, General Surgery, and ENT):
All visitors accompanying patients should be screened at registration at the same time the patient is screened. A visitor name badge will be provided which will indicate that they have been screened for respiratory illness. If they answer affirmatively, they should be asked to wait in their car or outside while the patient is being seen.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/hospital-preparedness-checklist.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Coronavirus Interim Guidance in the Health Care Settings- March 10th, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/infection-control/control-recommendations.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fhcp%2Finfection-control.html