Urbana, Ill.— Carle is announcing additional restrictions for visitors and support person restrictions beginning Friday, November 13 at all Carle Health locations. The entire Carle system is seeing an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
“We’re taking difficult but necessary steps to limit the number of people in our facilities beginning Friday,” Lynne Barnes, President, Carle Foundation Hospital said. “This further protects patients, our team and the community as the virus continues to spread. We’ve been fighting this virus, and fighting for our patients, for nine months with no signs of it slowing.”
“We’re at a critical juncture in our fight against COVID-19. It will take every one of us doing our part to get control of the virus in our community. Please protect yourself, your family, your community and your local healthcare workers by wearing a mask, washing your hands, staying home when you are sick, practicing social distancing and getting a flu shot” Robert Healy, MD, chief Quality officer said.
He noted we are entering another extremely dangerous period with anticipated holiday gatherings.
“In our state and region, we all have pandemic fatigue, and this toll is weighing on all of us personally. However, we strongly believe this is a critically important time period for the safety of our entire community, and we need everyone to be more diligent than ever.”
As such, we are implementing the following additional precautions:
Outpatient Procedure Support Person Policy
- For Outpatient procedures, one support person is allowed for the duration of the procedure.
- For Outpatient appointments, one support person only allowed for patients under 18 or for an adult patient with cognitive or developmental limitations. All other support persons involved in a plan of care should wait in their car for the patient and attend appointment by phone.
Inpatient Visitor Guidelines
Support persons must be over 18 and must wear proper PPE. (Except in end of life situations or if the support person is a patient’s parent) and will be provided a wristband/sticker if required. Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center will not require wristbands/stickers.
No hospital visitors allowed except for the following extenuating circumstances:
- Developmental/cognitive impairments- one support person permitted (including COVID+ patients).
- No visitors to the Emergency Department but allows two support people during a major trauma event where the Trauma Services team will provide care and for Pediatric patients 24 hours a day and one support person for an adult patient with cognitive or development impairment.
- Obstetrics/Labor & Delivery/Antepartum – one support person for the entire length of stay. Support cannot leave the unit.
- Special note for Carle BroMenn Medical Center: Laboring mothers should enter through Labor & Delivery Entrance after 6:30 p.m.
- Pediatrics/Intermediate Care Nursery/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – two support persons for the entire visit, one permitted at the bedside. Support persons must change outside of the unit.
- Pediatrics support 24 hours a day.
- NICU and Intermediary Care Nursery support 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Intensive Care Unit – two support persons. Only one person at bedside.
- Inpatient visiting hours for support persons will be 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. End of visiting hours announcements will air as appropriate at each location.
- Carle BroMenn Medical Center visiting hours are 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Inpatient Rehab – no support person until discharge.
- End-of-life – four support persons may be banded/stickered (including COVID+ patients), two at the bedside 24 hours a day.
- Support persons must change outside of the unit. They cannot wait in lobby or waiting room areas.
- If the dying patient has a child under the age of 18, the child may be allowed to enter, but only when accompanied by another banded adult family member.
- No visitors for MedSurg, COVID+ or PUI patients or in semi-private rooms.
- All waiting rooms (except Surgical Services) closed to visitors.
