The health and safety of our patients, visitors, health care workforce/providers and community are our top priority. Our visitor policy and guidelines are intended to ensure safety for all and recognize the importance of visitors to the patient’s recovery and healing process.
In all cases, we encourage visitors to refrain from visitation if they have an infection, illness or are immunocompromised.
All hospitalized patients have the right to have individuals of their choosing visit during their stay, unless visitation interferes with the medical management, well-being, rights or safety of others. Any disruptive individual will be asked to leave.
Visitation is always based on our ability to deliver safe, quality patient care. Individual units are permitted to limit visitation on a case-by-case or temporary basis if visitation requests impact patient care.
Currently, there is an unlimited number of visitors permitted; however, it is preferred to have two to three visitors maximum at one time. Visitor numbers must also be appropriate for the physical space and care activities taking place.
General Guidelines
- Visitation levels are set by the health system and apply to all facilities. However, there may be nuances for certain facilities/units based on regulatory requirements.
- Visitation will be balanced against the following components:
- Decreasing the spread or transmission of communicable diseases amongst patients, visitors, staff and our communities.
- Ensuring safe operations for clinical care.
- Providing compassionate but safe care to patients, visitors and staff.
- Individual units and/or visitation for specific infectious diseases or populations may be further restricted.
- Visitation for individual patients with any highly infectious disease, regardless of pandemic status, may be further restricted.
- Patients with disabilities which may include, but are not limited to, altered mental status, physical, intellectual or cognitive disability, communication barriers and/or behavioral concerns, will always be allowed a support person to provide essential support and assist with the specifics of their disability.
- Service animals are permitted.
- Individuals noted by a patient as an essential caregiver are permitted.
Inpatient, Obstetrics, Emergency Department and Long-Term Care/Subacute Rehab Unit
- Recommend two visitors at any one time, visitors and visitation may not impede care activities.
- Visitation in other areas as follows:
- Children: pediatric patient visitation recommends up to two parents, guardians or caregivers at the same time during inpatient stays and emergency department and clinic visits.
- In procedural areas, including procedural areas without patient rooms (e.g., curtained perioperative units), recommend no more than two visitors.
- Volunteers of St. Luke’s are permitted.
- Essential caregivers are permitted.
- Deliveries are permitted. Personnel must make deliveries at the designated delivery drop-off location at each site and follow infection-prevention guidelines.
- Personal visitors of St. Luke's employees or workforce are permitted.
Outpatient Visits
- Outpatient visits: In most circumstances, clinic patients may bring their children (minor or needing adult supervision), whether to their own appointment or a sibling’s appointment, if they have no alternative childcare options. Some appointments (e.g., some imaging procedures, adult cardiology procedures, chemotherapy infusion/most oncology visits, and mental health evaluations and testing) either do not allow children at a visit, or strongly discourage children attending, and may be subject to the appointment being rescheduled.
- Outpatient pediatric patient visitation recommends up to two people (e.g., parents, guardians, caregivers or siblings) at the same time during clinic visits.
Not Permitted
- Vendors, unless they have essential roles (e.g., assisting providers, delivering supplies, etc.).
Assumptions
- Masking: St. Luke's no longer requires individuals to wear masks in most settings where patient care is provided and where masking is not part of otherwise established infection prevention measures.
- Masks will continue to be required in long-term care settings based on regulatory requirements as well as in areas and patient care situations as part of routine infection prevention standards, such as operating rooms.
- Masking will be optional in all St. Luke’s Cancer Institute settings, except for the 4 South and pediatric oncology inpatient setting in Boise and for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic, where it will continue to be required for patients, staff and providers.
- In all other settings, including clinics and medical centers, we encourage patients, staff and providers to use masks based on their personal risk and comfort level. Masks will remain optional and made readily available for patients, visitors, staff and providers in all locations across the health system. Patients may request that their direct care teams wear masks if it makes them feel more comfortable.
- Symptoms: Symptomatic visitors are discouraged from visiting.
- Hand hygiene: Visitors must follow hand hygiene procedures.
- PPE: There is adequate PPE for patients, visitors and health care workers.
- Visitors will receive appropriate PPE and instructions.
If an egregious violation of St. Luke's policies and/or safety measures occurs at any time, security may be contacted, and the visitor may be removed immediately.