March 18, 2020 - Ochsner Visitor Policy

For the safety of our patients, your loved ones, our employees and our community, we are following the State of Louisiana Office of Public Health requirement to limit potential exposure of COVID-19 to patients.

We currently have a zero-visitor policy with limited exceptions. Only under the conditions below are visitors allowed to see patients and then only one visitor is allowed per day.

• Essential Visitors include:
  • Laboring moms – spouse/partner/relative
  • Pediatric patients (including NICU) — Parent/Guardian (one per day)
  • End of Life situations (including NICU)– spouse/significant other/adult children

• The patients are restricted to one Essential visitor per day.
• All Essential Visitors will be screened through temperature checks and appropriate questioning.
  • Patients with a visitor who we have deemed essential will be limited to one visitor per day.
  • Visitors should stay in the patient room for the duration of the visit.
  • Essential Visitors will be provided one mask and should keep it for the duration of their visit (even if returning the following day).
  • Screening questions:
    • Fever greater than 100.4*
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath

• An Essential Visitor cannot be someone who is a Restricted Person
• Restricted Person =
  signs or symptoms of respiratory infection-
  • Do you currently have a cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, or fever?
    • in the last 14 days has had contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 or is under investigation for COVID-19 or has been or is currently ill with respiratory illness, or
      
  • Have you had contact with a person confirmed with, tested for or showing symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
    • has been on international travel within the last 14 days to countries with sustained community transmission
      
  • Have you traveled in the last 14 days to UK, China, Italy, South Korea, Iran, or Europe?

March 13th CMS policy on Nursing Facilities

• CMS has said that there can be no visitors for nursing facilities except for end of life patients
• The OHS Post-Acute facilities are following the CMS guidelines for skilled nursing facilities to include our LTAC and Rehab facilities, except for end of life.

Clinic Visitors

• There should be NO visitors for clinic visits, except for pediatric visits with one parent.
  
• Clinic patients requiring assistance with ambulation or entrance into the clinic will be assisted by OHS personnel.
  
• Each clinic site will develop a protocol to enable patients to get to/from their car to their visit.