Ascension Saint Thomas Facility Visitation & Associate Screening Policies

As part of a comprehensive response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ascension Saint Thomas has evaluated our visitor policies. Our guidance addresses your safety and the safety of our associates, physicians, and community, while ensuring that we continue to deliver optimal care. Our priority is to reduce transmission and to protect people who are at higher risk for adverse health complications. Please comply with the following revised guidance, which goes into effect today (3/19/20) at 8 p.m.

Visitation Policy | Effective today at 8 p.m.

Visitors are temporarily restricted to:

• Virtual visitation only
• If you need support in the virtual visitation process, please ask your nurse or patient care technician

**Exceptions to our visitation policy may be made by hospital leadership balancing the health risks and the patient’s right to receive visitors.

Predefined exceptions include:

• Neonatal ICU and pediatric patients; limited to one legal guardian
• Women giving birth; limited to one birthing partner
• Patients undergoing surgery/testing; limited to one visitor
• End of life care as determined by our care team; limited to one visitor

All visitors will be screened upon entry into the facility.

• No visitors under the age of 18
• Screening questions will include: Do you have a fever? Do you have a cough? Do you have difficulty breathing?
• If the answer to any of these is “yes”, the visitor will be not be allowed to enter our facility

We encourage any potential visitors to use alternate methods of communication to stay in contact with loved ones, such as calling, video chatting, or texting. Thank you for your support in adhering to these guidelines, and thank you for trusting Ascension Saint Thomas for your care.

Mandatory Associate Screening Policy | In Effect

The COVID-19 mandatory associate screening is intended to provide additional safeguards for our patients, families, visitors and caregivers through decreased exposure to individuals who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Effective March 17, 2020, all associates, contingent workers, aligned medical staff, volunteers, residents/students, and other healthcare workers entering our sites of care will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19.

Sites will be placed on restricted ingress for all associates, contingent workers, aligned medical staff, residents and other healthcare workers, and any authorized students and volunteers. Screeners will be stationed at designated entrances to conduct screening assessments of all individuals entering the building.

We expect the screening should take no more than a few minutes per person; however, anticipate that in some locations the volume could cause some delays. Associates not exhibiting symptoms assessed in the screening will be cleared to report to their work area and start their shift.

Associates who indicate positive for the symptoms of fever, cough or flu-like symptoms will be directed to contact the Associate Health Clinical consultation line immediately for further assessment. A triage nurse will discuss your symptoms and may refer those with symptomology consistent with COVID-19 for definitive testing. Based upon the findings you may be directed to: (1) Remain off of work for up to 14 days with self monitoring; (2) Return to work with self monitoring; (3) Return to work with no monitoring.

Non-Associate contingent workers, aligned medical staff, volunteers, residents/students, and other healthcare workers who indicate positive for symptoms of fever, cough or flu-like symptoms will be directed to call the local Ascension Associate Health Department and their employer and/or healthcare provider as applicable. Associate Health will discuss your symptoms. Based upon the findings you may be directed to: (1) Remain off of work for up to 14 days with self monitoring; (2) Return to work with self monitoring; (3) Return to work with no monitoring.

For off-site practice locations (eg. Ascension Medical Group practice sites) the practice manager or supervisor should ensure that all practice associates are free of fever, cough and difficulty breathing. If any practice associate screens positive for one of these screening criteria, they should follow directions as outlined above.