Updated COVID-19 Visitor Guidelines

Effective on March 23, 2022, AVH is changing our visitor policy to accommodate more visitors.  Improving access to visitors is intended to improve patient satisfaction and care.  AVH reserves the right to revise the visitor policy if changes in community transmission of COVID-19 affect staff safety or patient care.

Important Information for All Visitors:

• All visitors must be 18 or older, unless a special exception is granted.
• When rotating visitors for a patient, anyone not in the patient room is required to leave the facility.
• Anyone who is ill is asked to not visit or accompany patients.
• If a visitor displays unsafe, threatening or aggressive behavior, or impedes care, intentionally or not, appropriate measures will be taken to protect our patients and staff.

ASA/Doctors’ Offices

• Adults – one visitor per patient.
• The visitor must accompany the patient to the exam room.

Outpatient Departments and Surgery

• One adult visitor is allowed per patient.

Emergency Department

• One visitor per adult patient. 
• Two visitors per pediatric patient.
• For patients in isolation:
  • One visitor for most isolation patients.
  • One visitor for COVID isolation after patient is confirmed positive. 
    • No visitor for patients with COVID-19 who are on “continuous” aerosolizing therapies, including BiPAP and Vapotherm.
    • All visitors must leave the room during any aerosolizing procedure.
    • All visitors must strictly follow PPE guidelines and must stay in the patient’s room throughout the visit.
• There may be times when our waiting area or department becomes too crowded to remain safe.  When this occurs, visitors may be asked to wait in the department waiting area or their car until the patient gets to their room, or the ER is less crowded.

Adult Inpatient

• All adult hospital inpatients, except those in isolation, may have one visitor at a time. 
• During labor and delivery, maternity patients may have two support persons.
• Labor and delivery patients, outside the delivery, may have two visitors. 
• For patients in isolation:
  • One designated visitor for most isolation patients, including those in COVID-19 isolation.
    • No visitor for patients with COVID-19 who are on “continuous” aerosolizing therapies, including BiPAP and Vapotherm.
  • All visitors must strictly follow personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines and must stay in the patient’s room throughout the visit.
  • All visitors must leave the room during any aerosolizing procedures.
• Hospice or Comfort Measures Only (CMO) patients may have two visitors at a time unless previous arrangements are made with the care team and house coordinator.

Pastoral Care

• Patients may have Pastoral Care visitation to attend to spiritual needs

Cafeteria/Gift shop

• The Cafeteria and Gift Shop are currently closed to visitors.

Revised 03/22/2022