Visitor Restrictions modified at MCHC

To protect our patients and our staff from possible exposure to COVID-19 and the flu, no visitors have been allowed at the Hospital since March. We are now modifying these restrictions and allowing one consistent support person or visitor per patient. So, when a patient is admitted, he or she can designate one person to visit. This same person can come in daily, not a different visitor every day.

The designated visitor must follow the rules of the facility:

• Visitors must wear a mask at all times while in the facility.
• After passing the COVID screening questions at the main entrance, the visitor will be issued a visitor’s sticker to wear for the day. (If the visitor does not pass the COVID screening questions, they will not be allowed to visit.)
• The visitor can then go to the designated patient’s room and stay there.
• We would like to avoid visitors coming and going multiple times in a day.
• Compassionate exemptions may be allowed for COVID patients, or for patients at the end of life. This is decided case-by-case by the charge nurse.

“We know how much it means for a patient to have a loved one beside them during their hospital stay. We also know it’s been extremely hard during the COVID-19 pandemic as patients and families were restricted from seeing each other out of an abundance of safety,” said Megan Gossman, Infection Prevention/Employee Health.

These updated visitation policies will remain in place until further notice, however, it is important to remember that an increased surge of COVID-19 patients in our community or hospital may cause visitation restrictions to be reinstated.

The front door of MCHC (east side of building) will continue to be locked when the Clinic is closed. After Clinic hours, use the Emergency entrance on the west side of the building. Please press the silver button for assistance. (Clinic hours are: Mondays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Thank you for your support during this difficult time.