SPOKANE, Wash. — Multicare Health System is further restricting visitors to its hospital amid coronavirus concerns.
The Family Birth Centers will allow one visitor per-24 hour period.
Multicare Deaconess Hospital's Natal Intensive Care Unit patients are allowed two visitors per 24 hour period.
Multicare is screening visitors at hospital entrances. A staff member will take each person's temperature and ask the following:
- Do you have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath or symptoms of a common cold or flu?
- Have you had contact with someone suspected or confirmed to have novel coronavirus?
Additional restrictions include limiting visiting hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. They're also limiting patients to one visitor per day. Patients under 17 are allowed two visitors per day.
No visitors under 17 will be allowed. Patients with confirmed cases of the coronavirus will not be allowed to have visitors, unless they are under 17 years old. Visitors aren't allowed to enter the emergency department unless they're accompanying an emergency patient.
Sacred Heart Medical Center, Holy Family Hospital and other Providence hospitals are also limiting visitors as an extra precaution in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
According to a press release from Providence Health Care, no visitors will be allowed in the hospitals with very specific exceptions.
These limitations apply at all MultiCare Hospital facilities until further notice.
Providence officials are encouraging patients and their loved ones to communicate through phone and video calls, the press release said. The policy is in effect until further notice.
Healthcare officials said they have very limited exceptions to this policy for maternity and pediatric patients as well as patients who are at the end of life. They ask that you speak with your nurse or care provider with questions.
The limitations apply at the following hospitals:
- Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
- Providence Holy Family Hospital
- Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital
- Providence Mount Carmel Hospital (Colville)
- Providence St. Joseph Hospital (Chewelah)
- St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute
Surgeries halted
Elective inpatient and outpatient surgeries have temporarily been stopped at Sacred Heart, Holy Family, Mount Carmel, St. Joseph's and the Providence Medical Park Ambulatory Surgery Center. This begins Thursday, March 19.
Respiratory care locations
Starting Wednesday, there will be two Providence Medical Group Urgent care centers designated only for patients with respiratory symptoms.
Patients with respiratory symptoms (fever, couch, shortness of breath) should visit these locations.
- 421 S. Division St., Spokane (509) 474-2100
- 551 E. Hawthorne Rd., Spokane (509) 489-2369
Patients that need care and do not have respiratory issues should visit Providence Medical Park at 16528 E. Desmet Ct., Spokane Valley (509-944-8910). No one with a fever over 99.9 will be allowed into the facility.
Patients are allowed one person to accompany them to their appointment.
ExpressCare Clinics in Spokane County have temporarily closed and are transitioning providers to care for patients via ExpressCare Virtual.
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