To protect patients and staff, HCH has been screening all patients and visitors to all their hospitals, and hospital access has been limited to ensure they remain a safe place to work and provide care.
In addition to those restrictions already in place, on June 23 all Mission Health hospitals are updating visitation to all facilities to Level 2.
HCH will allow 1 adult (age 18 or older) patient advocate (a family member or friend designated by the patient) per patient during the hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Exceptions to this will be pediatrics and end of life services. In these cases only, 1 person may remain overnight. All visitors will be screened and required to wear a mask. Of importance, visitors will NOT be allowed in the Eckerd Living Center.
HCH continues to comply with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.
There is no change in visitation policy regarding COVID-19 patients: visitors will not be allowed for COVID-19 positive patients or for patients awaiting a COVID-19 test result.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, HCH has been learning more and more about how to keep both patients and staff safe. These uncertain times have been tough on our patients, their families and our colleagues and we cannot emphasize enough our compassion for everyone during these uncertain times.
Having a family member or loved one with our patients when they are in our care is important as is our responsibility to keep our patients and families, as well as our colleagues and the communities we serve, safe.
Hospital staff have been supplied with iPads to facilitate FaceTime and Skype visits to help connect families and loved ones with our patients during this extremely challenging time. Staff have gone above and beyond to try and connect families while continuing to keep everyone safe.
We would like to remind our community members that our hospitals and facilities are safe, so please do not delay your care.
Screenings and access restrictions are in place at all Mission Health locations, regional hospitals and CarePartners. We want to ensure that we remain a continual resource for the communities we serve and are committed to delivering the most effective care with the best possible results.
As a reminder to protect yourself and prevent the spread of illnesses, please practice the three Ws: Wear a mask, Wait 6 feet apart and Wash your hands frequently using either soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel for at least 20 seconds.