Nash UNC Limits Access to Hospital; Requires Screening of All Visitors and Staff
ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina (March 31, 2020) –
Due to the growing spread of COVID-19 in our region, and to limit the risk of exposure for patients, caregivers and employees, Nash UNC Health Care will require all visitors, patients, and staff to be screened before entering the hospital, effective April 1st.
All patients, visitors and staff will be asked about symptoms associated with respiratory illness. If they meet the risk factors in the screening questions, they may be subject to a temperature check and/or directed to self-isolate and contact their primary care provider or the Health Department.
Visitors who are over the age of 65, pregnant or immunocompromised are discouraged from visiting, for their own safety.
“As we continue to see cases rise in our community, we will continue to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and staff,” said Lee Isley, president and CEO of Nash UNC Health Care.
Entry points have been limited in order to effectively manage the screenings. The entrances available for patients, visitors and staff to enter are: Nash General Hospital front lobby, Emergency Department, Heart Center, Women’s Center, Nash Day Hospital, Cancer Center, Coastal Plain Hospital, and the Bryant T. Aldridge Rehabilitation Center. The main hospital loading dock will also be a screening entry point for essential vendors and employees only. All other entry points will be disabled for entry, and only able to be opened for egress.
Various outpatient services conducted in other buildings on the Nash UNC Health Care campus will continue to evaluate medical necessity of their appointments, and will contact patients directly if any changes are made to their scheduled appointments or processes for entry into those buildings.
As the COVID-19 situation evolves, visitor restrictions may be tightened further.
