Patients & Visitors
Current Visitor Guidelines
The current visitation policy allows one (1) designated adult person for each ER, inpatient, ICU or same day surgery patient that desires to have a visitor with them. In addition to this person, the L&D patient is also allowed a doula to be present upon order from the obstetrician. Doulas will be required to provide their own PPE.
Restrictions to this allowance are as follows:
- patients with a physician order for no visitors and/or
- adult patients placed in isolation
Exceptions: inpatients at end of life and OB patients in isolation are allowed their one (1) designated person.
No one with a known positive COVID-19 status is allowed to enter as the designated person for an OB patient or as another patient’s requested visitor or caregiver.
All persons (patients, visitors, vendors, providers and staff) continue to be routed through a screening entrance where a temperature is obtained and symptoms are checked prior to being allowed entry to the hospital. Anyone with a fever or experiencing symptoms is asked to see a provider prior to obtaining clearance. Universal masking is also in place and practiced throughout the facility.
Frequent hand washing (20-second timeframe for washing hands with soap and water) is encouraged to protect from the spread of germs and viruses.
Pre-testing and surgical patients may enter through the main hospital entrance between the hours of 5 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday. After hours and on weekends, entrances are restricted to the ER and the secure, dedicated labor & delivery entrance accessible 24/7.
Support Person Screening:
- Support persons will be screened at the entrances listed above.
- Individuals who exhibit symptoms associated with respiratory illness (fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath) or report they have recently visited an area identified as a location experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak will receive further evaluation to determine next steps.
We encourage our patient families to consider remote visits using telephone or video chat.
Support persons are asked to practice infection prevention:
- Sanitize your hands when entering the hospital and when entering or exiting patient rooms.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue; dispose of used tissues in the trash.
- Sanitize your hands after coughing or sneezing.
If you would like to drop off a card, gift or other message of encouragement, we are happy to deliver those to patients. You may also call a patient’s room so they can hear your voice and you can hear how they are doing. The hospital has free Wi-Fi, so you may visit patients using Facetime or another video communication app.
We appreciate your patience, understanding and compliance. With your help we can maintain a safe environment for all our patients and staff during this time of uncertainty.
At Merit Health River Oaks, we understand that coming to the hospital as a patient or as a loved one's support person can be a difficult, often overwhelming experience. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital stay or stopping by to see friends and family, knowing where to go and what to bring will help make your visit less stressful. To make your experience easier, we want to provide you with helpful information you may need to plan your visit, such as what to expect, parking instructions, transportation and more.