The spread of COVID-19 has gone up and down throughout the past year, but Dane County health systems want patients to know that safety protocols for healthcare facilities remain in effect.
In a joint message, Access Community Health Centers, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Stoughton Health, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health – Meriter, UW Health and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital remind patients and visitors of the following:
- Masks are still required at all times within healthcare facilities.
- There are still limitations on visitors for most appointments and locations.
- Patients and visitors will continue to be subject to COVID-19 screenings.
A high-quality mask – a medical-grade surgical mask or an N95 – is required to be worn by patients and visitors over the nose and mouth, including while patients are waiting in clinic rooms for a nurse or clinician.
Visitor restrictions remain in effect to limit the opportunity for spread of the virus in healthcare facilities. Because policies can vary based on the location and type of appointment, patients should always confirm the visitor policies with their provider or clinic prior to the appointment.
Patients who have COVID-19 are not permitted visitors unless under rare circumstances such as end-of-life care. Visitors should refrain from accompanying or visiting patients if they recently tested positive for COVID-19 or are currently experiencing a COVID-19 symptom.
Finally, all patients are subject to COVID-19 screening and should answer screening questions honestly. This allows care teams to provide the best care and take the proper precautions, such as donning additional personal protective equipment, using virtual appointments or sometimes rescheduling appointments.
As cooler weather approaches and school begins in the coming weeks, every health system is closely monitoring the state of COVID-19 in the community and working to ensure facilities remain a safe place for all to receive the care they need.
More details on each health system’s policies can be found below. Experts at the health systems are available for interviews on this topic today.
Access Community Health Centers | COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin | COVID-19 General Information
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital | COVID-19 Visitor Guidelines
UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital | Visitors
UW Health | Patient and Visitor Guidelines
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital | COVID-19 Policies
Contacts:
Access Community Health Centers: Paul Harrison, Paul.Harrison@accesshealthwi.org, (608) 443-5544
Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin: Katelyn McLaughlin, KMcLaughlin@ghcscw.com, (608) 251-4156 Ext. 4453
SSM Health: Lisa Adams, lisa.adams@ssmhealth.com, (608) 206-5628
Stoughton Health: Laura Mays, LMays@stoughtonhealth.com, (608) 873-2248
UnityPoint Health – Meriter: Nicole Aimone, Nicole.aimone@unitypoint.org, (608) 417-5608
UW Health: Emily Kumlien, Ekumlien@uwhealth.org, (608) 516-9154
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital: Paul Rickert, Paul.Rickert@va.gov, 608-256-1901 x11011
