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Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, Methodist Le Bonheur Alters Visitation Policies


Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare is making changes to its visitation and other policies in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The hospital is limiting visitation beginning Thursday, March 19th, “until the transmission of COVID-19 is no longer a threat.”

No visitors will be allowed in rooms of patients with a pending or positive COVID-19 test.

Exceptions to this policy include:

• One parent of guardian of minor patients

• Obstetric patients may have one support person

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have two parents who must remain in the room the duration of the visit.

• Patients at end-of-life may have a very limited number of visitors who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients where the family member provides safety (e.g., altered mental or physical status or developmental delay) or is key to patient care (e.g., disruptive behavior) may have one visitor who must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients requiring a home caregiver to be trained must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.

• Patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor before and immediately after the procedure/surgery.

The hospital is also implementing employee and physician screenings beginning Thursday at all of its six MLH hospitals. This policy will extend to all MLH facilities on Monday, March 23rd. Screening will include a temperature check, as well as questions related to symptoms, travel, and potential exposure.

Finally, MLH is canceling all elective procedures beginning Monday. Doctors will continue to perform routine screenings and diagnostic tests.