Visitor Restrictions & Screening Processes

In response to the increased community spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) is taking additional precautionary measures to protect public health and keep our patients, visitors, Associates and community safe.

Effective 3/20/20 at 8 a.m., the following visitor restrictions and screening processes are in place at PVHMC.

Visitor Restrictions

1. Visitors are limited:
   • No visitors to patient care areas including medical-surgical units, telemetry units, critical care / intensive care units, observation units and procedural areas
   • Only one healthy parent at a time for Pediatrics and two healthy parents at a time for NICU
   • Only one healthy designated visitor for patients in the labor, delivery, postpartum and recovery units

     • If an expectant mother is being evaluated in the Labor Triage area, the support person must stay in their car. If the patient is admitted to the labor unit, the support person will be called by a nurse to enter the hospital. If an expectant mother arrives between the hours of 10 pm – 5 am, when the waiting area is typically less full and proper physical distancing can be adhered to – the support person is permitted to wait in the Women’s Center lobby.

     • The support person will be required to remain in the hospital for the duration of the patient’s stay – no in/out privileges. PVHMC is providing complimentary meals for the support person during this time.

   • During extraordinary ED circumstances, family members will be allowed to wait in the Emergency Department lobby after being screened for illness, until a member of the healthcare team identifies a designated family contact
   • Exceptions to the policy may be made for those patients receiving end-of-life care or who have extraordinary circumstances
   • No community visitors will be permitted to the cafeteria for the sole purpose of dining
2. Any visitor who exhibits signs and symptoms of illness may not visit hospitalized patients
3. For patients who cannot communicate with family and significant others, healthcare workers will be calling a designated spokesperson to provide appropriate updates

Screening Processes

All Arriving Patients & Visitors

• The hospital is screening patients and visitors at all hospital entrances. Upon arrival, designated staff will ask a series of questions to identify travel status and if patients and visitors are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Patients with Appointments

• Patients who have appointments at the hospital will receive a phone call prior to their appointment in which a designated hospital representative will perform the screening.