CHI Memorial facilities restrict visitation, group meetings and community programs
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, CHI Memorial, which has a number of facilities in Walker and Catoosa counties, is adjusting its visitation policy and canceling public group meetings to assure the health and safety of all patients, staff, physicians, and the community at large.
The following changes will remain in effect until further notice:
Visitation
♦ Patients who have COVID-19 symptoms or who are active COVID-19 patients may not have visitors.
♦ To protect the safety and well-being of all our patients and to comply with the CDC’s recommendations for social distancing, we request patients designate only one adult visitor.
♦ Each visitor will be screened upon entry. Visitors with fever, cough, sore throat or other flu-like symptoms are not permitted to visit any area of the hospital until the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. People who have traveled to high-risk areas for COVID-19 or had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 are not permitted to visit any area of the hospital until the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.
♦ School-age children should refrain from visiting CHI hospital campuses — CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson and CHI Memorial Hospital Georgia.
♦ Patients who are at the end-of-life may have two visitors.
♦ Community clergy will not be permitted to visit patients except in endof-life cases. In addition to two family members, one minister may be present at the end-of-life of a patient if requested by a designated family member.
♦ We respectfully request visitors stay in the patient’s room the entire time of the visit except to obtain meals.
♦ A visitor to the ICU or day surgery/ procedure must remain in the assigned waiting area the entire time of the visit except to visit their patient or to obtain meals.
♦ CHI Memorial chaplains and priest are available to provide spiritual care to patients and visitors daily.
♦ The entrance to CHI Memorial Rees Skillern Cancer Institute (Entrance D) at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga has been closed. Only oncology patients, our most vulnerable patients, and their accompanying visitor will be permitted to enter through Entrance D.
♦ To protect the safety and well-being of our patients, visitors, physicians and staff and to more effectively screen for COVID-19, front and back entrances of CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson are now closed. The Emergency Department/ Outpatient Entrance will remain the only open entrance and routine exit until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
♦ As per our regular policy, only the Emergency Department entrance on our three campuses is open at night.
♦ ICU visitation times remain in effect with above criteria.
Due to an abundance of caution, the
CDC’s recommendations for social distancing, and our concern for the safety and well-being of our patients and community at large, we are suspending the following:
♦ All support group meetings held by CHI Memorial Center for Cancer Support until further notice.
♦ CHI Memorial Metabolic and Bariatric Care educational seminars and support group meetings until further notice
♦ Patient and Family Advisory Committee (PFAC) meetings until further notice
♦ Breathe Easy mobile lung CT community screenings. The mobile CT will be utilized at 5 different campuses through the end of April performing all CT’s except those which are STAT or that require contrast of any kind. We anticipate resuming normal operations in May.
♦ MaryEllen Locher Breast Center mobile mammography screening programs in the community. We anticipate resuming normal operations in May.
♦ CHI Memorial Foundation’s 20th Cam Busch Art for Health Series. The March event has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2020.
♦ CHI Memorial Foundation’s 8th Annual Elizabeth’s Outrun Melanoma 5K and Walk. The April event has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2020.
♦ Tennessee Breast & Cervical Screening committee meetings until further notice
For more information on how to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, visit memorial.org/coronavirus or cdc.gov/ coronavirus.