Masking Information

Masks are available for anyone who chooses to wear one during their visit.

Hospital-issued masks are required if you exhibit any of the following symptoms:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

If you are a visitor and feel ill, we kindly ask that you come back another time.

Visitation Policy: Presence for patients, families, visitors

While we want you to enjoy your visit, our patients are our top priority at all times. They have entrusted us with their care, and we want to ensure that they receive the highest quality care and the best possible patient experience. As a guest in our hospital, here is what you can do to help support our commitment to the privacy, safety and comfort of our patients:

1. Check in. When you arrive at the hospital, please stop by the Nurses’ Station to let the care team and patient know you are here.
2. Respect privacy. All patients have the right to choose not to be listed in the patient directory (which contains the names and units of patients admitted to the hospital) or to receive open visitation while here. In this event, our receptionist cannot confirm or deny the patient’s presence in the hospital to any visitors or callers. If you encounter this situation, we ask that you respect the expressed wishes of the patient.
3. Observe infection control measures. Precautions are used to protect our patients when necessary. If you see a sign outside the patient room, you may be required to put on protective wear such as gowns, gloves, and/or masks. This is for your safety and the safety of the patient. In all cases, even if precautions are not in place, please clean your hands (alcohol sanitizer or soap and water) upon entering and before leaving the patient room. Please do not visit the hospital if you are sick or have flu-like symptoms.
4. Respect the importance of patient care first. At times, you may be asked to step out of the patient’s room so that certain procedures can be performed while maintaining a patient’s privacy. During this time, we invite you to visit the waiting area outside of each unit. Your loved one may ask that you remain and this request will also be honored. Our goal is to ensure dignity in all care that is provided.
5. Speak quietly in patient care areas. In order to maintain a healing environment, we will observe Quiet Hours in the clinical areas after 8:00 p.m. We ask that team members and visitors respect this time and make every effort to keep noise levels to a minimum to allow our patients the opportunity for a quiet night of rest.
6. Abide by our “No Smoking” policy. As a tobacco-free campus, smoking is not permitted by anyone anywhere on the entire campus. Alcoholic beverages or illegal substances are also not permitted.
7. Supervise children. Island Health is happy to welcome visiting children on campus, but we ask that those who are under the age of 16 years be accompanied by an adult.
8. Follow food restrictions. For multiple reasons, we ask that visitors not bring food to patient rooms. There are several visitor lounges throughout the hospital that have been designed with your comfort in mind. Some patients are on a special diet prescribed to aid healing.
9. Please utilize public restrooms. Our patient rooms have either a full bathroom or, in the ICU, a curtained toilet/sink. These facilities are for the use of our patients only. To maintain your privacy, we ask all visitors to use the public restrooms located outside each unit.

The clinical care team may determine exceptions to the visitation guidelines on a case-by-case basis in situations such as:

• Patients who have special precautions in place
• Patients in critical condition or at end of life
• Patients going to, or returning from, surgery outside of normal visiting hours
• Patient’s wishes as to whom they will permit to visit
• Patients with disabilities may designate one support person to accompany them throughout their visit or stay. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. Minor, temporary, or transient conditions (of less than six months) are generally not considered a disability but will be reviewed by an individualized assessment. The support person does not count as a visitor and is welcome at any time. The designation of a support person will be documented in the patient’s record.

Island Health will always allow for in-person visitation for all of the circumstances set forth in Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Parts 482 and 485; however, in-person visitation may be suspended or limited in accordance with, when appropriate.

Thank you for your cooperation. We hope that you have a pleasant visit. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask any member of the healthcare team.