Patients & Visitors
Visitor Guidelines (Effective August 16, 2021)
All non-COVID-19 hospital and emergency room patients are allowed one (1) care team member. The person must be age 18 or older and must remain in the patient’s room at all times. Please note the below distinction made between a care team member and a visitor.
- Care Team Member: a family member, friend, or other individual who, at the request of the patient, is permitted to be present and assist the patient during his/her stay.
- Visitor: a family member, friend, or other individual who makes a social call on a patient for a short period of time
Care team members must pass our screening process including a temperature check and questions about symptoms and risk factors before being allowed to enter the hospital. Individuals allowed into the facility are required to wear a mask at all times while in the hospital.
The exceptions to this revised visitor policy include:
- Pediatric patients may have two (2) parents or guardians with them.
- Adult patients who have been determined by the care team to be at the “end-of-life” may be visited by members of the immediate family.
- Every effort will be made to grant requests from a patient or family member for a visit from a chaplain, chaplain intern, Eucharistic minister, community clergy, or other spiritual advisor.
- All behavioral health programs will not be allowing a care team member.
- Other exceptions not listed above will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We encourage our patient families to consider remote visits using telephone or video chat.
Hospital Entrance Restrictions:
All patients and care team members needing to enter the hospital facility, including for an appointment at a hospital-based clinic or procedural unit, will enter through the main front entrance between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.; locked after 6 p.m. Reminder, NO entry will be permitted after 6 p.m.
Screening Requirements:
- Everyone entering the facility will screen for COVID-19 symptoms.
- Individuals who exhibit symptoms associated with respiratory illness (fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath) or report they have recently visited an area identified as a location experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak will receive further evaluation to determine next steps.
Care team members are asked to practice infection prevention:
- Sanitize your hands when entering the hospital and when entering or exiting patient rooms.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue; dispose of used tissues in the trash.
- Sanitize your hands after coughing or sneezing.
If you would like to drop off a card, gift or other message of encouragement, we are happy to deliver those to patients. You may also call a patient’s room so they can hear your voice and you can hear how they are doing. The hospital has free Wi-Fi, so you may visit patients using Facetime or another video communication app.
We appreciate your patience, understanding and compliance. With your help we can maintain a safe environment for all our patients and staff during this time of uncertainty.
At Merit Health River Region, we understand that coming to the hospital as a patient or as a loved one's support person can be a difficult, often overwhelming experience. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital stay or stopping by to see friends and family, knowing where to go and what to bring will help make your visit less stressful. To make your experience easier, we want to provide you with helpful information you may need to plan your visit, such as what to expect, parking instructions, transportation and more.