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Cape Fear Valley Health to restrict visitation starting Friday

Due to local positivity rates of COVID-19 reaching the highest levels seen so far during the pandemic, as well as increasing rate of COVID-19 admissions, Cape Fear Valley Health System’s facilities will further restrict visitation starting Friday, Jan. 7, 2022.

Starting Friday, patients who have not tested positive for COVID-19 will be allowed one visitor per day, between the hours of noon to 8 p.m. COVID-19 patients will be allowed one visitor per day, for one hour between 4 to 8 p.m.

In the Emergency Department, visitors will not be allowed in the waiting room, but one visitor will be allowed once the patient has been given a room.

Visitors to patients in the Emergency Department will not be allowed to leave and return.

“We are watching the trend of the inpatient COVID-19 cases at Cape Fear Valley as well as tracking the spread in the community on an ongoing basis and adjusting visitation policies accordingly. The hospital will provide visitors with a mask that must be worn during their entire visit. We also encourage everyone in the community to get vaccinated, and get their booster shot when it’s due, to help our healthcare heroes as we fight this pandemic into its third year.”

Chief Operating Officer Daniel Weatherly

Due to the high vulnerability of Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) patients at Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital, all visitors to those patients must be able to show proof of vaccination.The following exceptions will be made to this visitation policy:

• Labor & Delivery: Laboring mothers may have one support person/coach for the duration of their stay. If the support person/coach leaves the premises for any reason, he or she will not be allowed back into the building.

• Family Centered Care Unit: May have one visitor/support person during their entire stay who must stay in the patient’s room at all times. If the pe rson leaves the premises for any reason, he or she will not be allowed back into the building.

• Pediatric patients: A legal minor may have one parent or guardian with them who must stay in the patient’s room at all times. One parent/guardian may change out with another parent/guardian between noon and 8 p.m.

• Patients who need a healthcare decision maker or require communication assistance may have one Care Companion with them. The Care Companion may be changed one time each day between noon and 8 p.m.• Cancer Center patients who are having a consultation visit may have two people with them.

• End of Life patients may have one hour of visitation per day, during which time they may have one visitor bedside at a time, with a maximum of four visitors each day. In certain circumstances, the nursing supervisor may allow for compassionate exceptions to this rule for En d of Life patients.

Even in the above situations, visitors with symptoms of a fever or respiratory illness symptoms, including cough or shortness of breath, should remain home. Visitors and patients in all Cape Fear Valley Health facilities and clinics are required to properly wear a mask provided by the health system at all times. Masks must remain on at all times, even in patients’ rooms, or the visitor will be asked to leave. Cloth masks and neck gaiters are not permitted. This mask policy will be strictly enforced.

All visitors will be screened with a brief verbal questionnaire and a temperature scan before being allowed entry. Those who refuse to answer the questions or who have a temperature above 100.3 Fahrenheit will be denied entry.

READ MORE: Cape Fear Valley Health Covid-19 Visitation Policy Update