UPDATED – JANUARY 11, 2022
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC (COVID-19 Outbreak) Visitation Policy
With the increase in COVID-19 infections in Yakima County, Astria Health continues our commitment to protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of our patients, the community, your families, and employees. Therefore, during this time of the COVID-19 Outbreak, the hospital is closed to visitors.
Exceptions for time-limited visits include:
- End of Life (2 Visitors).
- Patient under the age of 18 (1 Designated Care Partner*).
- Adult Patients with Altered Mental Status and/or Developmental Delay (1 Designated Care Partner*).
- Obstetric Patient (1 Designated Care Partner/ Birth Support Partner).
- Newborn (1 Designated Parent/Guardian in addition to the mother*).
- Patients having Surgical Procedure (1 Designated Care Partner until procedure/surgery concluded*).
*With the exception of End-of-Life Transitions, Designated Care Partners are not interchangeable. Thus, the Designated Care Partner must remain the same person throughout the patients’ stay and remain in the room. No daily leaving and returning allowed.
Please note, there is ongoing evaluation of patient and population health needs.
Additional visitation strategies in collaboration with the patient’s care team include:
- Where accessible, within approved group gatherings as defined by authorities, family and friends may gather outside the closed patient room window.
- Utilize personal or room phones.
- Coordinate with the care team for use of the department iPad to coordinate a virtual meeting using Amazon Chime.
- English and Spanish instructions are provided for the family.
Allowed Exception Visitors must:
- Wear a hospital-grade mask.
- Clean hands with sanitizer or soap and water upon entry/exit from the hospital, patient care unit, and patient room.
- Wear a visitor badge/label for the duration of the visit.
- NOT wait in lobby areas – must stay in the patient’s room and exit the hospital when leaving.
Allowed Exception Visitors Entering Astria Health Centers will be screened for the following:
- Fever – Temperature will be taken of anyone requesting entry. Assess for temperature >100.0, coughing, or trouble breathing.
- New cough – not attributed to another medical condition.
- New muscle aches – not attributed to another medical condition or another specific activity.
- Throat pain – not associated with another medical condition.
- New shortness of breath – not attributed to another medical condition.
- Positive COVID-19 test within 14 days.
- Prolonged exposure to COVID-19 positive person within 14 days.
If any of these conditions are present, the requested visitor will not be allowed to enter the hospital or clinic.
COVID-19 remains a serious public health threat. The following restrictions are in place:
- All visitors are requested to perform hand hygiene before entering areas within the hospital.
- Visitors who are 2 years of age and older (even if fully vaccinated) must wear masks at all times while in our facilities.
- Visitors will not be allowed in the rooms of patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, except for limited situations such as end of life.
- Visitors will be screened upon entry and will only be allowed if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Visitors cannot have pending COVID-19 tests that were taken due to symptoms or exposure to a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
- Visitors cannot have tested positive and still be within their isolation period or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
- Visitors must stay in the patient’s room except when arriving or departing the facility.
- Visitors may not consume food or beverages in the lobby or waiting areas, shared patient spaces, or when healthcare workers are present in the patient-care space.
Posted January 27, 2022
