Updated 2/1/2021
For the safety of staff and patients during the pandemic, Sleepy Eye Medical Center has established visitor guidelines for various service areas. All visitors must pass our screening process prior to entering.
Clinic, Hospital, Urgent Care, Outreach, Laboratory, Emergency Department, and Radiology Patients
A patient may be accompanied by one individual* after the individual passes the screening process.
*Note: Once the designated visitor leaves, he/she will not be able to re-enter that day. Following the visitor’s departure, a subsequent (new) visitor will not be allowed on that day.
Exceptions to the Above
- Compassionate exceptions may be made under certain circumstances, allowing additional visitors. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
- Pediatric patients (patients under 18 years of age) will be allowed two legal guardian/parent visitors.
- Patients requesting spiritual care will be allowed one clergy member. (This excludes the one visitor per day.)
Guidelines for Approved Visitors
- All visitors will be screened for symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Visitors who do not pass the screening will not be allowed to accompany a patient.
- Visitors must wear a mask and symptom-screening sticker at all times within the facility.
- SEMC will provide a mask if they do not have one. Any visitor who does not comply will be asked to leave.
- Visitors under the age of 18 will not be allowed.
- Visitors must use hand hygiene frequently while in the building.
- If there are capacity issues in the waiting area, visitors may be asked to wait in their car or outside the building.
- SEMC staff will provide instruction to approved visitors before entering patients’ rooms: hand hygiene, social distancing, limiting surfaces touched, and the use of PPE (personal protective equipment) according to hospital policy.
- Inpatient visiting hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Patient-specific Visitor Guidelines
COVID-19/PUI Patients
- Visitors will not be allowed, except under end-of-life compassionate exceptions, for patients with confirmed COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 (Patient Under Investigation – PUI).
- Limit of one same individual all day. Once that individual has exited, there will not be re-entry for that day.
Labor and Delivery Patients
- One designated support person (spouse or paternal partner) will be allowed during delivery and the patient stay.
- In addition, a doula or “labor support individual” will be allowed to be with the obstetric patient throughout the entire labor/delivery and up to two hours post-partum.
- One visitor per day (excluding the support person) will be allowed.
These visitor restrictions will remain in place until further notice. We encourage family members to consider other ways to connect with their loved ones via phone and other devices.