Orlando Health adjusts visitation policy for non-COVID-19 patients

Orlando, FL (January 29, 2021) – Orlando Health will adjust its visitation policy for non-COVID-19 patients effective Monday, February 1, 2021.

The new policy means that patients hospitalized at most Orlando Health hospitals are now permitted two adult visitors during the daily visiting hours. Additionally, visitors are no longer required to be the same two individuals for the duration of a patient’s stay, except at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies and Orlando Health South Lake Hospital’s OB/GYN unit. All Orlando Health emergency departments and surgery/procedural areas will continue to only allow one visitor.

“At the onset of the pandemic, we suspended our routine patient visitation for the health and safety of our patients and care team, limiting to one and the same visitor for the duration of the patient’s hospitalization,” said Jamal Hakim, MD, chief operating officer, Orlando Health. “Now, 10 months later, we have successfully proven that we can safely allow for greater visitation without spreading COVID-19.”

Orlando Health will continue to utilize various strategies to maintain a safe environment for patients and team members. Visitors will be screened, given a temperature check and asked to adhere to appropriate precautions including masking, hand washing and social distancing.

At this time, the hospital is not adjusting the visitation policy for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Visitors can check with their loved one’s facility for specific guidelines before arriving.

 

About Orlando Health

Orlando Health, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a private, not-for-profit healthcare organization with $6.8 billion of assets under management that serves the southeastern United States.

Founded more than 100 years ago, the healthcare system is recognized around the world for its pediatric and adult Level One Trauma program as well as the only state-accredited Level Two Adult Trauma Center in Pinellas County. It is the home of the nation’s largest neonatal intensive care unit under one roof, the only system in the southeast to offer open fetal surgery to repair the most severe forms of spina bifida, the site of an Olympic athlete training facility and operator of one of the largest and highest performing clinically integrated networks in the region. Orlando Health is a statutory teaching system that pioneers life-changing medical research. The 3,200-bed system includes 15 wholly-owned hospitals and emergency departments; rehabilitation services, cancer and heart institutes, imaging and laboratory services, wound care centers, physician offices for adults and pediatrics, skilled nursing facilities, an in-patient behavioral health facility, home healthcare services in partnership with LHC Group, and urgent care centers in partnership with CareSpot Urgent Care. Nearly 4,200 physicians, representing more than 80 medical specialties and subspecialties have privileges across the Orlando Health system, which employs nearly 22,000 team members. In FY19, Orlando Health served nearly 150,000 inpatients and nearly 2.7 million outpatients. During that same time period, Orlando Health provided more than $760 million in total value to the communities it serves in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at http://www.orlandohealth.com.