Expanded visitation is now in place at Manatee Memorial Hospital, starting today. ER and surgical/procedural areas staff will now allow patients one visitor, age 18 and older to accompany patients upon arrival. All exception visitors are subject to screening upon arrival at the hospital. All will be required to wear a mask and use hand-sanitizing gel upon entering the facility as well as entering and exiting a patient room. The one visitor will be limited to a specific room. These additional visitation exceptions were added to the exceptions the hospital established on March 18. Those areas included OB/Neonatal, special needs patients and compassionate care/end-of-life situations. At this time, visitors are not permitted on the Inpatient Nursing Units or rooms. We encourage family/friends to continue to call, use FaceTime or Skype those patients.

Details of current visitation exceptions include:

ER – Limit of one visitor age 18 or older may accompany a patient in the ER. The visitor must come in with the patient at the time of arrival. Both are required to wear a mask and should bring their own. The visitor must stay in the specific room assigned to the patient until discharge. If the patient is admitted, no visitation is permitted on the Inpatient Nursing Units.

Surgical/procedural areas – Limit of one visitor age 18 or older may accompany the patient for admitting and pre-surgical areas. Both will be required to wear a mask upon arrival. The visitor will need to leave before the surgery starts and may not wait at the hospital. The visitor will be notified when the patient is ready to be picked up and given their discharge information. The visitor again needs a mask as they enter the building for discharge. If a patient is to stay overnight after their procedure, no visitation is allowed on the Inpatient Nursing Units.

Labor and Delivery: limitation of one support person who may stay over night

Mom and Baby/Post-partum**: one support person who may stay over night

Neonatal: one support person • Special needs patients, compassionate care/end-of-life situations.

**Reminder for OB patient’s families: when picking up mothers and/or newborns, please secure someone to watch older children, since they are not able to visit the hospital.

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