New Visitor Restrictions, COVID-19 Testing To Begin At Franciscan Health Michigan City

MICHIGAN CITY, Indiana - Effective Monday, June 1, drive-through pre-surgical and outpatient COVID testing will move from Franciscan Health's Homer Street campus to the Franciscan Health Michigan City hospital located at 3500 Franciscan Way.

Drive-through testing will take place at the COVID testing trailer, located in the east parking lot closest to the medical office building (Door B). Hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to noon, seven days a week. Patients must have an order from a Franciscan physician or closely aligned physician with hospital privileges. Pre-registration is required by calling (219) 877-1474. Patients must bring their photo identification to the testing site. Testing at the Michigan City site is limited to residents of LaPorte, Porter and Berrien counties.

To minimize unnecessary exposure, testing will be completed in the patient's car. After testing, patients will be sent home to treat their symptoms. The patient's physician will notify them with test results within three to five days. COVID-19 is a viral illness, and treatment is rest, drinking fluids and medication that reduces fever. You can protect yourself from transmission of the virus by washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with others, staying home if sick, covering coughs and sneezes and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces daily.

For those seeking information, we request that they not call the Emergency Department, since it takes resources away from treating our patients. For frequently asked questions about coronavirus, you can call this hotline: (219) 879-8511, prompt #8. This is not a medical screening hotline, it’s general information only. A free online COVID-19 risk assessment tool is also available at franciscanhealth.org/covidaware.

Along with the testing, new visitor restrictions will continue at the hospital. 

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.

Other changes for visitors include the suspension of valet parking until further notice. Public Mass in the hospital's chapel will be suspended, though Mass continues to be offered to patients via video in their rooms. The Dunes Café is closed to the general public. However, packaged grab-and-go meals are offered for sale to patient visitors.

Those with general questions about coronavirus can also find resources online, which are updated regularly, including:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov
• The Indiana State Department of Health at www.in.gov/isdh
• LaPorte County at laporteco.in.gov/covid-19
• Franciscan Health at franciscanhealth.org/covid-19