Note: Staff will need to present their badge at screening locations to validate they are an employee.
Effective today, a restricted visitor policy is in place at Nebraska Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center. It’s a move to protect patients and colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those visitor guidelines are as follows:
- All visitors will be screened before entering
- Two healthy visitors are allowed per patient
- Anyone who is experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or sore throat will not be allowed into the hospital
- Visitors must be 14 years of age or older
Nebraska Medical Center
To enforce the new policies, public access to the Nebraska Medical Center is now restricted. All entrances are now locked except for the following:
- Emergency Department
- Clarkson Tower
- Durham Outpatient Center
- Lied Transplant Center
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center
Employees can still use entrances with badge access. At Nebraska Medical Center, the restrictions will close the skywalk connecting the Clarkson Doctors Buildings North and South to Kiewit Tower. Colleagues will be able to use their badges to access the skywalk. The public entrances to the Clarkson Doctors Buildings North and South will remain open. If patients need to access Clarkson Tower from one of the south and north towers, they will need to be escorted by a staff member with badge access.
This restriction will close the main entrance to the Durham Outpatient Center. Staff and patients can access the DOC through the green parking structure (Lot 2).
Bellevue Medical Center
Staff will be allowed to use the main entrance. All patients and visitors will be directed to the Medical Office Building or the Emergency Department to be screened.
Visitor/Patient Screening
All visitors and patients will be screened upon arrival. The screening will ask about travel history and symptoms of illness.
All visitors who have been screened and cleared will be given a green sticker with the day’s date to be worn during their visit. Visitors experiencing symptoms of illness will not be allowed entrance.
Special circumstances will be taken into account on a case-by-case basis. For instance, a visitor exhibiting respiratory symptoms who needs to see a relative who is gravely ill; or a parent of a pediatric patient. Guidelines and instructions will be given to Security staffing the screening points, which will include calling the unit to verify the information. Visitors with these types of extenuating circumstances will be asked to wear a procedure mask and given a red sticker with the day’s date and instructions to limit their visit to two hours. At the conclusion of their visit, these visitors will be instructed to leave promptly and not linger in public areas.
At the Durham Outpatient Center, patients arriving for clinic appointments will be screened. If they have symptoms, they will be provided a face mask and asked to perform hand hygiene.
Leaders will assess the need for screenings at Village Pointe Health Center, Lauritzen Outpatient Center and our other community locations this week.