New Visitor Restrictions Effective March 25th

Warner Robins, GA -- Houston Healthcare Policies

Effective Wednesday, March 25, 2020:

Visitation

Only one (1) essential visitor will be permitted at the following locations:

• Houston Healthcare – Warner Robins
• Houston Healthcare – Perry

While individual policies differ slightly based on services, the health systems agree that limited visitation is best for our community.

The essential visitor is defined as those who are visiting/accompanying the following patients:

• Minor patients under the age of 18
• Patients at end of life/in hospice and/or palliative care
• Patients who need a healthcare decision-maker or visitor to help with communication and/or mobility
• Patients in labor and delivery and/or family birth centers (including partner and birth coach)

Essential visitors must continue to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Patients in hospice, palliative, pediatric units, and birth centers may have one (1) visitor overnight.
• Visitors under the age of 13 are not permitted, including for the birth of a sibling.
• Individuals with cough, fever, shortness of breath, or other flu-like symptoms will not be allowed to visit patients
• Visitors will not be permitted for confirmed COVID-19 patients and those persons being screened and awaiting results.

Public Access

All facilities may be accessed through their main lobbies and/or emergency centers.

Screening

Greeters at public entrances will continue to ask basic screening questions including:

• temperature monitoring
• guiding those seeking treatment to the appropriate location while assisting essential visitors as needed.
• Individuals with cough, fever, shortness of breath, or other flu-like symptoms will not be allowed to visit patients.

Hospital leaders recognize that interacting with loved ones can be helpful to the healing process and strongly encourage everyone to utilize other forms of support for their loved ones, including phone calls and video chats on cell phones or other mobile devices. Patients have access to Wi-Fi to assist with mobile communication.

Local hospitals routinely make decisions to ensure the health and safety of patients, staff, and visitors. These policies and actions are designed to safeguard the entire community. We appreciate the community’s cooperation and understanding during the efforts to mitigate the threat of COVID-19.

About Houston Healthcare

Houston Healthcare is a system consisting of seven separate entities serving over 300,000 people every year. Our 2 hospitals totaling 282 beds, 3 urgent care facilities, 8 physician practices, and numerous ancillary services have one goal—taking care of the people that call Houston County and surrounding communities home. We provide a wide range of services, including inpatient and outpatient surgery, maternity and neonatal intensive care, advanced cardiovascular care, Urgent care, Electronic intensive care units, Advanced imaging services, Psychiatric care, Physical and cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation, Orthopedics, and joint replacement, Oncology treatment, and 24-hour emergency care.