FAYETTEVILLE – Feb. 19, 2021 – Recognizing that family members are an important part of our patient’s care team, and given that the numbers of COVID-19 cases in the region are trending lower, Cape Fear Valley Health is pleased to reopen its visitation policy. Effective Monday, Feb. 22, Cape Fear Valley Health will allow for one visitor per day for most inpatients. Visitors, or “Care Companions,” must wear masks at all times, and they must wear their masks correctly. Visitors will be screened with a brief verbal questionnaire and a temperature scan before being allowed entry. Those who refuse to answer the questions or who have a temperature above 100.3 Fahrenheit will be denied entry.
Adult inpatients at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Hoke Hospital, Bladen County Hospital and Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center may have one Care Companion during the hours of noon to 8 p.m. Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) patients at Highsmith-Rainey Specialty Hospital remain unable to receive visitors at this time due to the facility’s highly vulnerable population. Outpatients at clinics should continue to arrive alone for appointments unless they require a healthcare decision maker or communication assistance.
Other basic restrictions for Care Companions include:
- Must not have tested positive for COVID-19 or been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive within the last 14 days.
- Must be immediate family members or a designated support person who is able to hear all private medical information.
- Must be 16 years old or older, or 18 years old or older for the Behavioral Health Care Inpatient Unit
- Must sanitize hands before and after visitation.
- Must follow all physical distancing and hygiene guidelines
Hospital visitors must stay in the patient’s room during their entire visit, unless they are picking up food from the hospital cafeteria or leaving the hospital for the day. Visitors are not allowed in COVID-19 or isolation rooms. Labor and Delivery patients are allowed one Care Companion who may stay with them overnight and for the duration of their inpatient stay. Credentialed doulas may attend births as a secondary support person, but must leave following delivery. All Care Companions who leave the hospital will not be allowed to return until the next day. If a visitor does not follow all guidelines, they will be asked to leave.
All Cape Fear Valley Emergency Departments continue to not allow Care Companions until a patient is placed in a private treatment room. Visitors to the ED must wait in their vehicles until the patient is in a room.
Some units, such as Cardiac Catheterization, Surgery, or Behavioral Health, may have further guidelines for Care Companions. A complete listing of visitor restrictions and guidelines throughout Cape Fear Valley Health can be found at www.capefearvalley.com.
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