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Visitor Guidelines

A Notice to Our Visitors: All visitors are required to provide proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test collected within 48 hours before the visit if using PCR testing, or one day before the visit if using antigen testing.

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To protect patients, visitors and our staff from the spread of COVID-19, Dominican Hospital has updated its patient visitation guidelines. 

Effective Friday, May 27, 2022, patients may have two designated visitors per day. Exclusions apply for COVID-19+ and Emergency Department patients. Exceptions must be authorized by the nursing supervisor. 

  • Visiting hours are 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. daily
  • Visitors must wear a hospital issued mask
  • Visitors must be 5 years or older and are required to comply with state and local screening and vaccination requirements, as well as all hospital safety protocols. 

Exceptions

Emergency Department: One designated visitor is allowed in the lobby and at the patient's bedside. If social distancing cannot be maintained in the lobby, clinical staff may request that visitors wait outside. Exceptions for pediatric patients and patients with physical, intellectual, developmental disability, or cognitive impairment may be allowed during triage as determined by nursing leadership. Cognitive impairment is defined as someone who has trouble remembering, concentrating, communicating or making decisions that affect their ability to receive medical care. 

NICU: Two designated parents/guardians may visit at the same time. 

Birth Center: May have two designated support persons over the age of 16. 

Pediatrics: May have two parents or guardians. 

Imminent End of Life: May have a total of two support persons/visitors a day. The support persons/visitors may rotate throughout the day. A maximum of four people may visit per day.

Outpatients: One visitor may accompany the patient and wait in the surgery waiting room.

Patients with Cognitive Impairments; and/or Physical, Intellectual, Developmental Disabilities: One continuous visitor is allowed. 

COVID-19 positive patients

  • COVID-19 positive patients visitors are restricted at this time. End of life patients may have two support persons/visitors per day. Visitors must comply with current PPE and physical distancing policies. Visits will be limited to two hours. 
  • An informed conversation must occur with the visitor and the Nursing Supervisor prior to the visit that outlines the risks, benefits and alternatives to an in-person visit. This conversation will be documented in the patient’s medical record. 
  • Visitors should not be present in the room with a COVID-19 positive patient during an aerosol-generating procedure. 

Visitor Screening

Visitors must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at entrances. Visitors do not need to be designated in advance. 

The California Department of Public Health requires visitors to show proof of vaccination. If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, visitors must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test collected 48 hours for PCR tests, and 24 hours for antigen tests.

Approved vaccine verification options are: 

  1. COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card) which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date last dose administered.
  2. A photo of a Vaccination Record Card as a separate document.
  3. A photo of the client's Vaccination Record Card stored on a phone or electronic device.
  4. Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider. 

Some exemptions are allowed to meet specific patient needs. Please make a request for an exemption through the house supervisor. 

The following requirements apply to all visitors:

  • Must comply with personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines and remain masked at all times. 
  • Must remain in the patient’s room, and not in any other indoor public spaces. 
  • May use the public restroom or purchase food and drinks to-go from the hospital café. Visitors may not eat in the patient’s room. 

Virtual Visitation

All patients may request and are encouraged to do virtual visitation via the patient’s or family’s personal devices or through hospital-provided technology. 

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to keep our patients and community safe and healthy.