Visitation Guidelines Adjusted in Response to Rising Volume of COVID-19 Patients

Due to the continuing escalation in volume of COVID-19 patients in the region and North Oaks hospitals, the health system's visitation guidelines have been modified effective July 22, 2021.

COVID-19 positive patients at North Oaks Medical Center and North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital may not have visitors except in cases of end-of-life. Nurses will give twice-a-day phone updates to the patient's designated family member. Another exception is that laboring mothers who are COVID-19 positive may have one designated support person with them for the duration of labor with no swapping allowed.

Emergency Room patients may have one visitor/support person accompany them. If the patient needs COVID-19 evaluation, however, the visitor/support person will be asked to leave and wait in his/her vehicle while patient testing is pending. Nurses will update the visitor/support person waiting in the car as to the patient’s status. If the patient has COVID-19, he or she will not be allowed to have a visitor/support person with them in the Emergency Room.

Clinic and Outpatient Diagnostic patients with respiratory or COVID-like symptoms will only be allowed to have a support person accompany them if it is medically necessary to assist the patient or communicate with the provider.

Non-COVID-19 patients at North Oaks Medical Center and North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital will be allowed to have one visitor/support person at a time between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Visitors may swap out, but visitors will not be allowed to wait in North Oaks lobbies. Pediatric patients are the exception; they may have both parents visit at the same time.

Laboring mothers who are not COVID-19 positive will be allowed to have one support person present. Postpartum, one support person will be permitted with swapping allowed, but visitors will not be allowed to wait in North Oaks lobbies.

Visitors will be screened at the door and required to stay in the patient’s room/with the patient at all times when visitation is permitted:

• At North Oaks Medical Center, please enter and exit the hospital at the Main Entrance (4-story hospital building marked by a horseshoe drive and flagpole) Monday-Friday, and through the Tower Entrance (5-story hospital building marked by circle drive and connecting breezeway to the Parking Garage) on weekends.
• At North Oaks Rehabilitation Hospital, please use the Main Entrance to enter and exit the facility Monday-Sunday.