COOKEVILLE – Cookeville Regional Medical Center expanded its visitor policy to allow one visitor per Emergency Room patient effective Sept. 2, with the exception of patients coming to the ER with COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19.
Other visitors allowed as follows:
- One designated visitor will be allowed per inpatient/observation patient per hospital stay. Visiting hours for these visitors will be daily from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. No overnight stays will be permitted. (Visitors for patients with special needs will be allowed for overnight stays if approved by the attending physician.)
- One parent/guardian per pediatric patient (overnight stays allowed)
- One support person in the Birthing Center (overnight stays allowed)
- One visitor in Inpatient Rehabilitation per patient per stay. Visiting hours for these visitors will be 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- One support person for surgery and procedure patients, including same day patients (must wait in patient room or car until patient returns to a room)
- End of life (number of family members to be determined by attending physician-overnight stays allowed as approved by attending physician)
- No visitors for COVID-19 positive or suspect patients unless it is an end of life situation approved by the attending physician
- No visitors for outpatient testing or appointments
- No visitors under age 16
All visitors must follow these guidelines:
- Enter through the North Tower main entrance or the East Entrance
NOTE:
- Labor and delivery patients and their visitor are allowed to enter through the East Entrance for COVID-19 screening.
- Same day patients (surgery and GI procedures) will continue to enter through the West Entrance; visitor will then park and enter through the North Tower main entrance for COVID-19 screening.
- Emergency Room visitor presenting with the patient to triage will be screened by the triage nurse. ER visitor presenting after the patient is in the room will need to enter through the East Entrance for COVID-19 screening. No outside food or drink is allowed to be brought in the Emergency Department.
- Put on a mask before entering the building.
- Wear a mask the entire time they are in the hospital.
- Be registered in the computer as the patient’s designated visitor.
- Wear an armband with patient name and room number.
- Be screened for COVID-19, including temperature checks, prior to entering the hospital (overnight visitors must be screened by the nurse each morning).
- Stay in the patient room for the entire visit – will not be permitted to go to other areas of the hospital, including the café or out to smoke.
- The patient’s designated visitor will be the point of contact for all other family members to call for information about the patient.
“We appreciate our community’s understanding and patience regarding the medical center’s visitor restrictions,” said Paul Korth, CRMC CEO. “We know that the restricted visitation policy has been hard on patients and families and are glad that we can now be somewhat more flexible with our visitor policy; however, we still must remain vigilant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are doing everything we possibly can within the medical center to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ask our limited visitors to help us by following the guidelines we have in place during their visits.
“Our providers and staff have done an outstanding job in following recommendations to prevent the spread of the virus, through personal protective equipment (PPE), good hand hygiene, proper cleaning and disinfecting as well as the wearing of masks in patient care areas and in public areas throughout the medical center.”
To protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19, practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer of at least 60% when soap and water are not available. Keep at least a six-foot distance from others in public, avoid large gatherings, and wear a facemask to protect others.
