Macon Times

Atrium Health Navicent issued the following announcement on Aug. 20. 

As the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases increase in Georgia and following careful review of its policies and local COVID-19 data, Atrium Health Navicent (AHN) has chosen to modify certain portions of its visitation policy. The visitation policy is used to protect patients, visitors and caregivers from the threat of COVID-19. These changes are effective Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 and only visitors described below will be permitted into Atrium Health Navicent facilities.

Visitors include those who are visiting/accompanying patients.

Guidelines

· Visitation hours will be held 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

· All patients in system wide inpatient may have one (1) visitor, excluding COVID-19 units. See special considerations.

· One (1) visitor is allowed at the bedside at a time.

· Essential visitors may change out daily.

· Visitors must remain in the patient room at all times

· Adult patients may have one (1) visitor overnight and pediatric patients may have two (2) visitors/guardians at any time.

· All patients in system wide outpatient and ambulatory settings may have one (1) visitor. See special considerations

· Visitors under the age of 12 are not permitted, including for the birth of a sibling.

Special Considerations

· Minor patients under the age of 18 may have two (2) visitors/guardians by bedside at any time and may have two (2) visitors in outpatient and ambulatory settings.

· Patients in Labor and Delivery (active labor, before delivery) may have one (1) visitor. One (1) visitor may remain overnight.

· Patients in Atrium Health Navicent Family Birth Center (after delivery) may have one (1) visitor at a time at the bedside. One (1) visitor may remain overnight.

· Patients in hospice or palliative care may have one (1) visitor at a time at the bedside and one (1) visitor overnight.

· Patients in ICU (non COVID-19) may have one (1) visitor at a time at the bedside.

· Patients at Atrium Health Navicent Rehabilitation Hospital may have one (1) designated visitor for the entire stay and visiting hours are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

· Patients who need a healthcare decision maker or visitor to help with communication and/or mobility.

Other considerations

· Overnight visitors must stay at the patient’s bedside. If a patient needs an in-room procedure that requires the visitor to leave the room, the visitor may wait in the hallway outside the patient room or go for a walk.

· Some Intensive Care Units lack capacity for overnight visitors; in these units, overnight visitors are at the discretion of unit leadership.

· Waiting rooms and communal sleeping areas will remain closed.

· Some visitors arrive with patients via entrances other than the main visitor entrance (ex. Surgery, Emergency, Heart Procedures). In the event a patient who entered through any entrance other than the main visitor entrance be admitted and the visitor choose to stay overnight, the visitor must check-in at the main entrance and receive a visitor band during visiting hours (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.). If the patient is admitted after visiting hours, the visitor may stay overnight and check-in at the main entrance during the next day’s visiting hours.

The enhanced visitation policy applies to Atrium Health Navicent locations, including:

Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital

Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center

Atrium Health Navicent Peach

Atrium Heath Navicent Baldwin

Atrium Health Navicent Rehabilitation Hospital

Monroe County Hospital, an Atrium Health Navicent Partner

Putnam General Hospital, an Atrium Health Navicent Partner

AHN Emergency Rooms, Urgent Care Centers, Clinics and Diagnostics Centers

All facilities may be accessed through their main lobbies and/or emergency centers. Individuals with cough, fever, shortness of breath or other flu-like symptoms are asked to refrain from visiting. Greeters at public entrances will continue to ask basic screening questions and temperature monitoring, guiding those seeking treatment to the appropriate location while assisting visitors as needed.

Atrium Health Navicent recognizes that interacting with loved ones can be helpful to the healing process and strongly encourage everyone to utilize other forms of support for their loved ones, including phone calls and video chats on cell phones or other mobile devices. Patients have access to Wi-Fi to assist with mobile communication.

The health of our patients and the community is the highest concern at Atrium Health Navicent. Our policies and actions are designed to safeguard our community. We appreciate the community’s cooperation and understanding with our efforts to mitigate the threat of COVID-19.

For the latest information on Atrium Health Navicent’s response to COVID-19, including our visitation policy, please visit www.navicenthealth.org. Atrium Health Navicent reserves the right to update the visitation policy at any time, based on current COVID-19 conditions.

Original source can be found here.