Franciscan Health Hospitals In Central Indiana Enhance Visitor Restrictions Because Of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Activity

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – With the continued spread of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus and flu season in central Indiana, no visitors will be permitted to Franciscan Health’s three medical campuses in Indianapolis, Mooresville and Carmel.

All visitation continues to be suspended throughout Franciscan Health hospitals unless listed in the following exceptions for healthy visitors.

Hospitals will continue screening all visitors to determine if they are at risk for COVID-19 or other communicable diseases. Those who do not pass screenings will not be permitted to enter the hospital. All visitors will be required to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and practice good hand hygiene. Visitors must be 18 or older.

Inpatients: Non-COVID-19 patients may have 1 designated visitor per day to help provide continuity and maximize safety. Ideally, visitors are those identified as involved in on-going caregiving/support for the patient and will be able to assist with education and caregiving once the patient is ultimately released from the hospital. COVID-19 inpatients may not have visitors.

Labor & Delivery: A laboring woman will be allowed one visitor, a spouse or partner during labor and delivery. In addition, a labor coach will be allowed.

NICU: Mother and significant other will be allowed to visit child in NICU with daily screening for temperature and COVID-19 symptoms required. Failure to pass screening will result in a denial of visitation. (In extraordinary and end-of-life situations, the facility may allow an additional 1 - 2 visitors to visit, provided proper social distancing and PPE usage are followed.)

Emergency Room: Patients may have 1 designated visitor per day to help provide continuity and maximize safety. Ideally, visitors are those identified as involved in on-going caregiving/support for the patient and will be able to assist with education and caregiving once the patient is ultimately released from or admitted to the hospital.

• Victims of sexual assault have the right to an advocate, as stated in SEA 146. If requested by the patient, a victim advocate may be present during a medical forensic exam.
  Outpatients/Ambulatory: Non-COVID-19 patients may have 1 designated visitor per day to help provide continuity and maximize safety. Ideally, visitors are those identified as involved in on-going caregiving/support for the patient and will be able to assist with education and caregiving.

Surgery: Non-COVID-19 patients may have 1 designated visitor per day to help provide continuity and maximize safety. Ideally, visitors are those identified as involved in on-going caregiving/support for the patient and will be able to assist with education and caregiving once the patient is ultimately released from the hospital.

Non-COVID End-of-Life: In non-COVID end-of-life situations one visitor will be allowed for the duration. A second visitor will be allowed on a rotating basis with no more than two visitors at a time. Franciscan Alliance Pastoral Care is part of the care team and is allowed to visit. External pastoral care are not considered part of the care team and are not permitted.

COVID End-of-Life: In COVID end-of-life situations one visitor will be allowed to visit. The visitor must wear full PPE while in attendance. Franciscan Alliance Pastoral Care is part of the care team and is allowed to visit, wearing full PPE while in attendance. External pastoral care are not considered part of the care team and are not permitted.

Minors & Non-Decisional Patients: One visitor will be allowed only for patients that do not have actual or legal decisional capacity. Those include persons under 18, persons with dementia, and persons whose condition precludes obtaining an accurate history or decision making.

Franciscan Health Indianapolis (8111 S. Emerson Ave.)

• Entrances 12 (Main), 6 (Outpatient) and Emergency Department will be the points of access for the hospital. All other entrances will be locked down.
• Cancer Center entrance will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for outpatient oncology patients.

Franciscan Health Mooresville (1201 Hadley Road)

• The only accessible entrances are the Main Entrance and the Emergency Department. All other entrances will be locked down.

Franciscan Health at Carmel (12188-B N. Meridian St.)

• Continue to enter through the main entrance.

Additional restrictions at other Franciscan Health locations include:

Franciscan Senior Health & Wellness (PACE: 8325 W. Southport Road.)

• Suspension of all tours of Franciscan Senior Health & Wellness centers for the general public until further notice.
• Visitors to the center to include only those with critical business – family visitors will be suspended until further notice.
• Enhanced screening process for critical business-related visitors to include questioning related to presence of current symptoms and recent travel. If a business-related visitor has a self-reporting fever of 100.4º F or higher or has other symptoms (cough, sore throat, stuffy/runny nose, chills, nausea or vomiting), they will not be allowed to enter the PACE center.

“This is a public health issue, and it is our intent to protect the health and safety of our patients, our visitors and our employees,” said Christopher Doehring, MD, vice president of medical affairs for Franciscan Health Central Indiana. “In doing so, we can reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, flu and other seasonal-related maladies.”

Franciscan Health implemented temporary visitation restrictions in December 2019 as the number of flu cases increased locally. The COVID-19 situation dictated that its hospitals take further measures.

For updates on Franciscan’s response to the coronavirus, visit FranciscanHealth.org/covid-19.

• Each patient should only have one visitor with them.  We do realize there may be some circumstances to consider as an exception (new consult, new diagnosis type of appointments etc.)
• The screening will include key questions with the list of symptoms and travel.
• We will also be taking temperatures (ear) as part of the screening and as an additional precaution.
• We will have a sticker placed on all visitors that have a “negative” screen.
• If a visitor has a temperature and or has other criteria on the screening, they will not be asked to wait in their care.
• Patients will be assumed to be ill and will be masked, perform hand hygiene and sent to their appointment.
• We will have a cart with all of the supplies for the staff to use during the screening process.