TOLEDO, Ohio — ProMedica, Mercy Health and St. Luke's hospitals are continuing to make changes to their operations and procedures in advance of COVID-19 moving into the area.
ProMedica announced they will be implementing visitor restrictions, effective immediately, at all their hospital and outpatient surgery facilities.
There are exceptions however.
- Patients receiving end of life care may have visitors.
- Pediatric patients may have two visitors who remain the same throughout the hospitalization.
- Obstetrics (OB) patients may two visitors who remain the same throughout the hospitalization.
- Patients whose health care team determines that visitors are essential to their well-being may have visitors.
- Patients in ProMedica outpatient surgery facilities may have one visitor.
ProMedica is also instituting visitor restrictions at its senior care facilities.
- Restricting all visitors, volunteers and non-essential health care personnel except in certain compassionate care situations, such as end-of-life situations.
- Notifying potential visitors to defer visitation until further notice.
- Limiting facility access for the small number of visitors who will be permitted (only allowing them to visit the resident’s room or location designated by the care team).
In addition, visitors may be subject to screenings in order to ensure they are healthy enough to visit.
ProMedica doctors may also postpone non-essential, non-urgent office visits, tests and procedures.
ProMedica hospitals include ProMedicaToledo, ProMedica Bay Park in Oregon and ProMedica Flower in Sylvania.
St. Luke's Hospital implemented visitor restrictions on Sunday. According to hospital officials, the following restrictions are in effect:
- No one under the age of 17 is allowed to visit
- There's a limit of one visitor per patient
- Hand washing must be done before and after visit with patient
On Friday, Mercy Health asked that the public not visit their facilities, including senior services and long-term care facilities.
Exceptions include, mother/baby and pediatric patients, for whom visitors are limited to a designated partner or primary caretaker.
Also, Mercy says exceptions will be made for end-of-life situations or if a visitor is essential to the emotional well-being of the patient.
Mercy also directed the public to the CDC's website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html" to review current and recent guidelines.