LAKELAND, Fla. -- Lakeland Regional Health is changing its visitor policy and postponing all elective procedures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The changes were announced on Sunday evening.
Effective Monday, all non-emergency and non-urgent procedures are postponed.
"If you or a loved one had a surgery or procedure scheduled, you will be contacted. If you have any questions about your surgery, we encourage you to contact your doctor or surgeon’s office for more information," the hospital said on Facebook.
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The hospital also announced changes to who is allowed to visit patients at its facilities.
"At this unusual time, we do understand that this policy change could be disconcerting for patients and community members and want to provide exceptions for those most affected by this change of policy," the hospital said on Facebook.
The exceptions include:
- Obstetric patients going to the hospital may have one partner accompany them.
- Obstetric patients going to the hospital may have one partner accompany them.
- Patients who are at the end-of-life may have visitors with the approval of the nursing leader in charge of that particular unit.
- Patients with disruptive behavior, altered mental status or development delays in which a family member is key to their care, may have one visitor with the approval of the nursing leader in charge of that particular unit.
- Patients undergoing urgent or emergent surgery or procedures or have had significant trauma-related injuries may have one visitor with the approval of the nursing leader in charge of that surgical or procedural area.
- Companions accompanying patients to the emergency departments in which the companion is key to the patients' care may be allowed with the approval of the Emergency Department nursing leadership.
- At the discretion of the Children's Emergency Department leadership, other children accompanying parents arriving to the pediatric emergency department for urgent or emergent care of their child may be permitted to stay.
- Patients in the Bannasch Institute for Advanced Acute Rehabilitation Unit may have one designated visitor with the approval of the nursing leader in charge.
If a visitor does not meet the exception criteria, they will be asked to return home.
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Lakeland Regional says, at this time, children 16 and under are not allowed in its facilities unless they are a patient.
Companions accompanying patients to outpatient clinics during the pandemic is also being limited.
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Lakeland Regional says only companions who are key to providing adequate healthcare information to the provider may be allowed to be present in the exam room with the patient. All others will have to wait in their vehicle or outside of the building.
