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For visitors

Designed to support the health and safety of our patients and employees, our visitation guidelines outline what you can expect during your visit to Methodist Hospital Atascosa.

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Purpose

Our visitation guidelines have been designed to support the health and safety of our patients and employees. With this in mind, our primary objectives are limiting exposure to respiratory illnesses and helping to contain the COVID-19 virus, all while balancing patient needs for family support.

Definitions

Patient representative (as defined by CMS): This is the individual who is legally responsible for making medical decisions on a patient's behalf. (See also: Advance Directives Withholding & Withdrawing Life Sustaining Treatment and Treatment Disagreement Process and Consent to Medical Treatment.)

Patient support person (as defined by CMS): This person does not necessarily have to be the same as the patient representative. A support person could be a family member, friend or any individual who supports the patient during the course of the hospital stay. In cases of pediatric patients, Child Protective Services (CPS) may assign a support person as part of a CPS Safety Plan.

Qualifying period of disaster (QPD): Texas House Bill 2211 defines a QPD as the period of time in which a hospital is declared to be a disaster based on an infectious disease. The declaration can be made by a governor, state official or designated local official.

What you can expect from Methodist Healthcare System (MHS)

Upon entering one of our facilities, all potential visitors will be screened for signs or symptoms, including fever, of lower respiratory illness. No potential visitor is permitted to enter the building if signs or symptoms of COVID-19 are present. If no symptoms persist and the visitor is allowed to enter, they will receive education from an MHS clinical staff member on appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) use and disposal, hand hygiene, safe surface-touching, social distancing and movement within the facility.

On each visit, MHS will provide the following PPE:
  • Non fit-tested N95 mask, if available
    • (If a non fit-tested N95 is not available, a Level-I procedure mask will be issued.)
  • Face shield
  • Gown, if necessary

If visitation is not possible due to COVID-19 restrictions or other reasons, the use of alternative communication tools (tablets, phones, etc.) is encouraged so that patients can maintain contact with their loved ones.

What MHS expects of visitors

The safety of our patients and staff is critical to ensuring uninterrupted operations at our facilities. As such, it is important that visitors understand the nature of our policies and know that they have been designed with their safety in mind.

The following is a list of expectations MHS has of all visitors:

  • If a location has COVID-19 patients, there are limitations on the number of visitors that are allowed at one time.
  • Visitors are expected to schedule visitations that allow enough time for the appropriate COVID-19 screening, education and training.
  • Once inside, visitors are expected to follow social distancing guidelines at all times, as well as limiting their movement to only their patient's room. Those who do not comply will be escorted from the facility.
  • If a visitor fails to meet, or refuses to submit to the requirements of, the hospital's health screening and PPE protocols, they will be removed from or asked to leave the premises.
  • Visitors should understand that visiting a patient with COVID-19 puts them at risk for exposure to the virus. By entering the facility, visitors agree to accept all responsibility for that risk.
  • To schedule a visit, please contact the patient's nurse.
  • All visits must be approved in advance, and visitation times will be limited in accordance with hospital visiting hours, unless the visitor is the patient's designated representative or support person.
Circumstances may allow for specific exceptions to any visitation restrictions described on this webpage. Those circumstances include religious visitation as well as a designated support person for a patient with a disability to provide assistance with communication or other necessary components of the patient's treatment. All persons entering under an exception remain subject to appropriate infection control protocols.