Genesis Has Updated Visitor Restrictions

Genesis has announced that they have began to ease some of their visitor restriction policies which were put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, Genesis Health System updated their visitor restrictions policies. They announced some eased restrictions as the medical centers and clinics begin to reopen inpatient and outpatient services Previous to the updates announced on Monday, any visitors that were under the age of 18, were only allowed in if they were an immediate family member and considered vital to the patient's well-being. The previous restrictions and updated restrictions are to protect patients and health care staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Monday, these are the new visitor restrictions at all Genesis Health System medical centers and clinics:

Visiting Hours: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

No visitors allowed for patients who are COVID-19+ or patients who are considered under investigation for COVID-19

Rules For Visitors:

• All visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the hospital entrance
• Visitors must be at least 14 years of age
• Any visitor who fails the COVID-19 screening will not be allowed into the facility
• All visitors must wear a mask at all times in the facility
• Each patient may only have one visitor per day
• Visitors may not leave and return in the same day
• No visitors allowed for patients who are COVID-19+ or patients who are considered under investigation for COVID-19

Inpatient Visitor Rules:

• One visitor per patient, per day, during visiting hours only
• Visitors must remain in patient's room
• For inpatient overnight surgeries, one visitor per patient, per day
  • During surgery, visitor must remain in outpatient care center patient room
  • Visitors may visit patient in their inpatient room during visiting hours only

Area Specific Visitor Rules (Visiting hours do not apply)

• OB patients may have one birthing support person
• Actively dying patient may have two visitors
• Patients 17 years old and younger, may have one parent or guardian. This person must remain with the patient for the entire visit
• Emergency Department patients may have one visitor, who must remain in the patient’s room for entire visit
• Same Day Procedures patients may have one visitor, who must remain in the patient’s room for entire visit
• Outpatient Clinic Appointments patients may have one visitor, who must remain in the patient’s room for entire visit
• GHG Physician Offices: Adult requiring caregiver or child 17 and under can have one visitor/guardian, who must remain in patient's room entire visit
• Hospice patients may have up to four visitors in their room at one time. Visitors are limited to immediate family members.
  • Read Genesis' complete Hospice Visitor Guidelines here.

Visitors at Genesis will be asked the following 3 screening questions when entering:

1. Do you have a fever of 100 or above or respiratory symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing)?
   Visitors will also be screened with an infrared forehead thermometer and it is documented.
2. Have you traveled on a cruise ship or traveled outside of Iowa or Illinois in the last 14 days?
3. Have you had close contact with a person that is laboratory confirmed to be infected with COVID-19?

Visitors who answer “yes” to any of these screening questions will not be permitted in the hospital. Visitors who answer “no” to all 3 questions will receive a badge that indicates that they are a visitor, the date of their visit, and the time in which they were screened. Anyone who is a visitor who leaves the hospital after being screened, will be screened again upon reentry.

Genesis that if screening visitors delays care or service to a patient, the patient will take priority and visitors should expect to wait.

Genesis has started to reopen services and you see the updated list of services that now open by clicking here.

For the full update on visitor restrictions, click here.