Adventist Health Sonora to allow more visitors beginning Monday

Most patients at Adventist Health Sonora’s hospital, clinics and other facilities will be allowed more visitors beginning Monday, an easing of limited visitations that have been in effect since the most recent coronavirus surge began in July and August, hospital staff announced Friday.

Twice in the past 18 months, COVID-19 surges have prompted Adventist Health Sonora to limit visitors to end-of-life care patients and child-birth patients only, Tyler Newton, the operations executive for Adventist Health Sonora, said Friday afternoon in a phone interview.

Visitors were limited during the surge last winter, from December 2020 to about April 2021, and again during the summer surge from July 2021 to the present, according to Newton and Jaquelyn Lugg, communications manager for Adventist Health Sonora.

“Over the last 18 months we’ve had to, as an organization, adapt to rising cases in the community and increasing admissions at the hospital,” Newton said Friday afternoon in a phone interview.

Newton said that, beginning Monday, the hospital is encouraging one visitor per patient in its acute-care settings, which includes the medical surgical

floor, intensive care unit and emergency department.

Patients in maternity, pediatric, end-of-life care and other special circumstances, who were previously only allowed one visitor, will now be allowed two visitors starting Monday, Lugg added.

“The overall message is we understand the emotional health and wellbeing of our patients is so important to their physical healing,” Newton said.

As required by the California Department of Public Health, all visitors must provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of arriving at the hospital, Newton said, with the exception of visitors coming to see special patient populations, including maternity, pediatrics, and comfort care, who are excluded from vaccination and testing requirements.

Exceptions to the testing and vaccination requirements are also made for imminent end-of-life care, a copy of the policy update states.

Testing and vaccination requirements also do not apply to outdoor visitation, the Professional Center at 900 Greenley Road, the Health Pavilion, and Adventist Health Sonora outpatient clinics, the policy update states.

The hospital also has ipads available for patients and visitors for video conferencing with other family and friends.

For more information about Adventist Health Sonora's visitor hours and guidelines visit www.adventisthealth.org/sono-ra/patient-resources/vis-iting-hours-guidelines/, or call the hospital's main phone line at (209) 5365000 and an operator will direct your call.