Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) has eliminated visiting hours in an effort to keep staff, vendors, the public, and patients safe from the coronavirus.
In a statement released Thursday morning, GSHCS officials say they have implemented a no-visitation policy as a protective measure to reduce the risk of spreading infection. The hospital had limited visitation hours earlier this month.
The new visitor restriction is in accordance with the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and other health authorities. GSHCS encourages patients and loved ones to communicate with phone and video calls whenever possible.
Effective immediately, no visitation will be permitted at GSHCS with only the following exceptions:
- Minor children requiring care in the hospital or at a clinic/outpatient site will be permitted one parent/guardian per patient, one at a time throughout the day with no more than two parents per day
- Family Birth Center – one care partner during length of stay
- Patients receiving end-of-life care where death is imminent as identified by a physician or advance practice provider – no more than two visitors in our facility per every 12 hours
- Patients requiring a legal guardian to make medical decisions on their behalf – one care partner during length of stay
- Patients requiring a care partner for self-management – one care partner during length of stay
For these limited exceptions, visitors must be 18 years or older, and be free of fever, cold or flu-like symptoms. All visitors will be screened at entrances to enforce these restrictions.
In addition to restricted visitation, access into the hospital and clinics is limited to specific doors. All patients and vendors are to enter the campus via the Elm Street entrance and they will be subject to a brief screening in order to direct them appropriately for the services needed.
Locations for entering our facilities are limited to the following doors and hours:
- Emergency Room Entrance (Open 24 hours)
- Entrance C (Pharmacy Entrance) 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Good Shepherd Medical Plaza Entrance 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. or earlier, dependent upon when appointments are completed
- Columbia Professional Plaza (Front Entrance) 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m. or earlier, dependent upon when appointments are completed
For up-to-date GSHCS information, please visit the GSHCS Facebook page or www.gshealth.org. For general COVID-19 questions, community members may call the Oregon Health Authority hotline by dialing 211 from a cell phone (not a landline).
If a community member believes they have been infected by COVID-19 or are exhibiting symptoms such as fever or respiratory illness (cough or shortness of breath), call your primary care physician’s office and/or Umatilla County Public Health at 541-278-5432. For medical emergencies, dial 911.
