As The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) continues to open up services, the hospital will have some revisions to visitor restrictions beginning Monday, June 15.
“We appreciate our community’s cooperation during the last few months as we faced the coronavirus pandemic,” said Michael K. Winthrop, TBH’s president and CEO. “Our dedicated staff has worked together to put proactive measures in place to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect our patients and staff. ”
Beginning Monday, June 15, TBH visitor restrictions will include:
- Patients will be permitted one visitor per day in the medical/surgical unit, intensive care unit and emergency department areas. Patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) will not be allowed visitors.
- Patients in the Family Birthing Center are permitted one designated visitor for laboring moms and for birth of child.
- One visitor will be permitted to accompany outpatients.
- Pediatric patients under the age of 18 are allowed only two designated visitors. These should be the same two visitors for the duration of hospital stay.
- Surgery patients will need to be dropped off and picked up for their procedure. No visitors are permitted in the surgery area, but driver can wait in cafeteria seating area if he or she would like. Food service at the Main Station Café is closed, but vending machines are open.
- No one who is sick with flu-like illness or has someone in immediate family with illness should visit the hospital.
- Children under the age of 18 should not visit any areas of the hospital.
The Bellevue Hospital’s physician group, Great Lakes Physicians, will have similar revisions to visitor restrictions beginning Monday, June 15 and will include:
- One visitor will be permitted to accompany patients for office visits.
- No visitors under the age of 18 permitted in the office unless they are the patient.
Exceptions to the visitor restrictions both at the hospital and the outpatient settings may be allowed in certain situations such as end of life and patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We may still require flexibility as we continue to make the safety of everyone in our hospital and outpatient settings our top priority,” said Sara Brokaw, vice president of Patient Care Services. “Visitors may still be asked to wait in their cars or outside if they can not safely remain in the waiting area due to social distancing guidelines.“
Outpatients and visitors to the hospital will be screened at the Main Patient Entrance (Entrance A) if visiting before 6 p.m. and the Emergency Department Entrance (Entrance B) after 6 p.m. and on weekends.
“We also ask that patients bring a face covering and use it when entering the building or traveling through the hospital, TBH outpatient clinics or medical offices,” Brokaw said.
For more information on the safety measures put in place at the hospital and TBH outpatient offices to help minimize the spread of COVID-19, visit www.bellevuehospital.com/safety.