Local News

THREE RIVERS HOSPITAL TIGHTENS VISITOR RESTRICTIONS

News Release

Mar 28, 2020

Three Rivers Hospital has enacted a new policy further restricting visitation and strengthening the screening process for employees, patients and visitors.

Per the new policy, enacted March 26, all visitors are prohibited to reduce risk of COVID-19 exposure to other patients except in the following circumstances:

One parent/guardian is permitted for a pediatric patient under the age of 18; and
Two visitors at a time are permitted for patients on end-of-life care.

“For Washington State hospitals and health systems, the health and safety of our patients and community is our top priority,” the policy states. “COVID-19 is a novel virus that poses an unprecedented threat to our patients, especially those who are elderly, have underlying medical conditions and/or compromised immune systems.”

Three Rivers has not seen any confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 26, but if or when the hospital does end up treating infected patients, visitors will need to remain outside the patient’s room and communicate with them over the phone, unless decided otherwise on a case-by-case basis.

The policy also requires all patients, employees, and visitors to enter the hospital through the front lobby entrance or the ER entrance and use the external phone to contact nursing staff inside the hospital. A nurse or aide will come out to conduct a health screening before the individual is cleared to come inside.

This policy is consistent with the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s 30-day mitigation strategies to combat the spread of COVID-19. Other hospitals around the state have implemented similar processes.

More information about what Three Rivers and its clinic, Three Rivers Family Medicine, have been doing to address the pandemic is available at the following links:

https://threerivershospital.net/covid-19-information/

https://www.brewsterclinic.org/covid19