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Kaweah Health modifies COVID-19 visitor guidelines, extends visitor hours

  • Category: News
  • Posted On:
  • Written By: Maria Rodriguez Ornelas
Kaweah Health modifies COVID-19 visitor guidelines, extends visitor hours

Kaweah Health modifies COVID-19 visitor guidelines, extends visitor hours

VISALIA, CA – Starting Tuesday, June 22, Kaweah Health will modify visitor guidelines in accordance with California’s re-opening plans and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention newly released guidelines.

Kaweah Health will implement a number of changes throughout its Medical Center, including loosening restrictions on the number of visitors that patients can have during the course of their hospital stay. Visitation will not be changed at Kaweah Health’s mental health hospital or its skilled nursing/subacute facilities due to continued restricted state guidelines.

“Nobody appreciates the power of visitation more than us. We understand how it benefits the healing process and how it benefits communication between patients and caregivers, so we are really excited about this,” said Gary Herbst, Kaweah Health’s Chief Executive Officer.

Most patients in the Medical Center (exceptions noted below), can have up to two visitors at a time during visiting hours, if visitors wear a mask while in patient care areas per state guidelines. Children over the age of 12 are allowed to visit only if the child is accompanied by an adult and able to follow masking guidelines. Visitors can change throughout the day (exceptions noted below), but only two visitors will be allowed per patient in the building at a time:

  • Acute Adult inpatient: Up to two visitors at a time during visitation hours (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
  • Critical Care: Two visitors allowed (10a.m. - 5p.m., 7p.m. - 9p.m.)
  • Maternal Child Health (Labor and Delivery and Mother Baby): Up to two visitors who can visit all hours
  • Emergency Department: Two visitors allowed once patient has been taken to a room
  • Surgery/Procedures/Cath Lab: Two visitors will be allowed to alternate for pre-op and post-op, but will still need to wait in vehicle during the surgery due to waiting area limitations.
  • Endoscopy: one symptom-free visitor allowed post-operatively due to space limitations
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Up to two visitors with one able to stay overnight. Visiting hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Pediatrics: Up to two visitors all hours with orange armband
  • Rural health clinics and urgent care locations: One visitor allowed.
  • Rehabilitation hospital – Two visitors, limited hours M-Sat 3p.m. – 5p.m., Sun 1p.m. – 4p.m.
  • Cardiac Rehab on Akers Campus: no visitors
  • Therapy Specialists, all locations: no visitors, unless they are doing family training or are needed to facilitate patient engagement in therapy
  • Wound Center: allow one visitor, especially for family training
  • Dialysis clinic: one visitor allowed in the lobby or in treatment rooms. While patient is receiving treatment, visitor must leave lobby due to limited seating. Visitors are not allowed in Hemodialysis Treatment Room due to size limitations and state guidelines for social distancing.

Adult patients in the hospital with COVID-19 who are in isolation are allowed video visitation only until they are released from quarantine. Exceptions will be made for patients by the charge nurse in extenuating circumstances. Pediatric patients with COVID-19 may have one guardian visitor.

Visiting hours will change to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. throughout the Medical Center; critical care visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

All permitted visitors will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, new cough, new shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste) and required to wear a mask while in healthcare facilities and in patient care areas per state guidelines. Those who do not have surgical facemasks will be provided one.

On Monday, Kaweah Health had 6 COVID-19 inpatients, none of which were in licensed ICU beds. Kaweah Health shares COVID-19 information and regular updates with the community on its website at www.kaweahhealth.org/COVID19 and on its social media accounts. #