Community Health Network enhances hospital restrictions

For release on March 11, 2020

Visitors will be screened, hospital entry-points limited

Indianapolis, IN—As a preventive measure to protect our patients, caregivers and visitors, Community Health Network will screen all visitors and limit access to all hospital sites beginning Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Anyone visiting Community Hospital South, Community Hospital North, Community Hospital East, Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, Community Behavioral Health, Community Howard Regional Health, and Community Hospital Anderson must be 18 years or older. Children under the age of 18 are permitted in the hospital if they are a patient. All visitors will be directed to specific entry points to the hospitals. Before entry into the hospital, each visitor will be screened by answering a series of questions as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments to determine if the visitor is at risk for exposure to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Those questions include:

Do you have fever AND signs/symptoms of lower respiratory infection (cough/shortness of breath)?
Have you had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patient within the last 14 days?
Have you recently traveled to/from China, Iran, Italy or South Korea?
Have you been on a cruise in the past 14 days?

Visitors who answer NO to all the screening questions will receive a wristband notifying caregivers they have been screened.

If visitors answer YES to any of these questions they will not be permitted to visit at that time. They will be provided guidance on next steps.

Anyone with concerns they may have acquired or been exposed to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) should call 317-621-2727 to get important information and ensure they get the best care possible BEFORE visiting a site of care.

Community is consistent with other local healthcare systems in enhancements to flu restrictions already in place.

More information about COVID-19 and future updates can be found at eCommunity.com/covid19.