This message is from Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, President and Chief Executive Office, LVHN, Terry Capuano, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Office, LVHN, and Thomas Whalen, MD, MMM, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, LVHN.

LVHN and St. Luke’s have effectively worked together to co-design common hospital visitation restrictions so as to limit any confusion in the community.

With the health and safety of our community and staffs in mind, a common “No Visitation, No Access Policy” will be implemented for all LVHN and St. Luke’s hospitals and outpatient facilities, including LVPG offices.

LVHN staff is fully prepared to evaluate and care for patients who may be infected with COVID-19 disease, while taking the strongest possible precautions to ensure the health and safety of all other patients, their families and our staff.

We are following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendations for evaluation of patients who may be at risk of developing this new virus. Teams throughout our health network are working closely with leaders from the CDC, the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Health, and local health officials to monitor and respond to this evolving situation.

A strict visitation policy is in effect at each LVHN hospital and outpatient facility to protect the health of our patients and staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.

In our hospitals and inpatient facilities, no visitors are permitted except under these special circumstances:

• Visitation of a patient nearing the end of life
• Parent visitation of a child in a pediatric ICU or neonatal ICU
• One coach or partner per patient on labor and delivery unit
• One visitor at a time for patients in inpatient hospice unit
• One parent/guardian at a time for pediatric patients
• One visitor to accompany patients for hospital discharge
• One visitor for patients undergoing same-day surgeries and procedures
• One visitor per patient in the emergency department

For all outpatient appointments, one visitor is permitted to accompany a patient for an outpatient appointment, procedure, same-day surgery or LVPG office visit. We will make reasonable accommodations for pediatric visits, provided any sibling visitors are in good health.

Visitors allowed by exception must be in good health and are subject to a health screening, if necessary.

No child under age 12 is permitted to visit in the hospital.

All colleagues play a role in helping to ensure people follow our policy. Please do the following:

• Use the attached talking points to explain the importance of following the policy when speaking with patients and visitors.
• Print and post the attached flyer near the entrance of your unit or department to inform people about our policy.

Please check LVHN.org/COVID19 for updates as this is a dynamic situation that may require additional measures in the future.

Thank you for all you are doing to help keep our patients, visitors, colleagues and community safe.