NO VISITORS ALLOWED at Northfield Hospital

November 16, 2020
Hospital w clock tower

NOVEMBER 16, 2020 – Northfield Hospital + Clinics no longer allows visitors at Northfield Hospital as of Tuesday, November 17.

NO VISITORS are permitted at Northfield Hospital.

Northfield Hospital + Clinics is prohibiting hospital visitors to protect patients and staff as COVID-19 cases rise across the region.

As of Tuesday, November 17:

Medical/Surgical unit: No visitors allowed. Compassionate exemption may be made for a patient at end of life. Pediatric patients may have one parent/guardian with them. Patients with disabilities or dementia may have one adult support person with them. Support person must be symptom-free and will be screened on entry, including temperature. Emergency Department: No visitors allowed. Pediatric patients may have one parent/guardian with them. Patients with disabilities or dementia may have one adult support person with them. Support person must be symptom-free and will be screened on entry, including temperature. Cancer Care & Infusion Center: No visitors allowed. Compassionate exemption may be made. Birth Center patients may have one adult support person; it must be the same person for the full stay. Patients may choose their partner or a doula. (A doula is not considered part of the medical team.) Support person must be symptom-free. Same-day procedures: No visitors allowed for out-patient appointments including MRIs, X-rays and other Diagnostic Imaging appointments; and Same-Day Surgery and Endoscopy appointments. Pregnant patients may have one support person for OB ultrasounds. Pediatric patients may have one parent/guardian with them for out-patient appointments. Patients with disabilities or dementia may have one adult support person with them. Support person must be symptom-free and will be screened on entry, including temperature.

Compassionate exemptions are decided on a case-by-case by the care team. The care team will contact the patient’s primary relative if this is appropriate.

These restrictions are consistent with metro hospitals through the Metro Health & Medical Preparedness Coalition.

In NH+C clinics:

Pediatric patients may have one parent or guardian; no siblings People with disabilities or dementia may have one support person Pregnant patients may have one support person for the first OB appointment, and for OB ultrasounds

Support person must be symptom-free and will be screened on entry, including temperature.

“As COVID cases rise rapidly across the community, we must take precautions to protect the health environment of the hospital, and the health of our staff by limiting exposure to people who don’t need to be in the hospital or clinic for their own care,” said NH+C CEO Steve Underdahl.

“The number of cases in the community and the positivity rate of COVID tests in Rice and Dakota counties are at the highest point since the pandemic began,” Underdahl said. “This precaution is more crucial now than at any time since the pandemic began.”

NH+C first closed its facilities to all visitors on March 20, 2020. Visitor restrictions were loosened and re-tightened over the summer and fall, based on the number of COVID cases in Minnesota and the risk to patients and staff.

Systemwide precautions continue at all NH+C locations to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to care for all patients safely.