OU Health Revises Visitation Policy For Hospitals, Clinics

OU Health announced it is revising its visitation policy for hospitals and clinic as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

Effective Aug. 23, all adult patients admitted to OU Medical Center or OU Health Edmond Medical Center will be allowed to have one guest at a time, with a maximum of two guests in any 24-hour period.

Adult patients of an OU Health clinic are allowed one guest to accompany them to appointments. This includes clinics on the Oklahoma Health Center campus, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, community and offsite clinics and OU Medical Center clinics. Guests must be 18 years of age or older.

COVID-19 patients may not receive visitors. However, patients under 18 years of age who have COVID-19 may have one guest.

Highly vulnerable patients in Autumn Life geriatric behavioral health unit at OU Health Edmond Medical Center may not have visitors.

Two designated guests for pediatric and perinatal patients at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health will be allowed during the patient's hospital stay.

Pediatric patients of an OU Health clinic are allowed two guests to accompany them to appointments. This includes clinics on the Oklahoma Health Center campus, community and offsite clinics such as Southwest Pediatrics, Super Ninos, Kids’ First, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital clinics and the OU Health Prenatal Diagnostic Center.

OU Health continues to observe precautions deemed necessary to decrease the potential spread of COVID-19 to staff and patients, therefore, guests of hospital and clinic patients must:

1. Be screened for COVID-19 at an entrance or point of service. If screen results are positive, or if guests feel unwell and/or show any symptoms of COVID-19, they will not be allowed to stay.
2. Sign to acknowledge acceptance of terms contained in the Guest Expectations form.
3. Wear an approved mask at all times while in the facility, including the patient’s room.

Acceptable masks include:

1. Cloth mask
2. Procedural/surgical-type masks

Neck gaiters, buffs, bandanas, scarves or masks with vents or exhalation valves are not allowed.

Stay in the patient’s room at all times, unless asked to leave by hospital staff for reasons related to safety or patient care. If asked to leave a patient’s room temporarily, guests will use a designated waiting area until notified by a care team member to return to the patient’s room.

Understand that failure to comply will require immediate departure; visitor may not return as the guest of a patient. 

Waiting rooms and cafeterias are monitored, and appropriate physical distancing measures will be observed. Hospital guests are discouraged from coming and going throughout the day. If guests leave the hospital, they should discuss a planned return with department leadership.

End-of-life events are uniquely sensitive. Requests for family in-person attendance for a patient care conference require approval from the administrator on call at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center and Oklahoma Children’s Hospital or hospital administration at Edmond Medical Center.

1. For all OU Health hospital locations, the department director may approve up to three visitor exceptions for patients nearing end of life.
2. Requests outside of these guidelines require approval from the administrator on call at University of Oklahoma Medical Center and Oklahoma Children’s Hospital or hospital administration at Edmond Medical Center.
3. Visitors for COVID-19 patients must receive Just-In-Time Fit Testing from clinical coordinators for an N-95 mask and must wear appropriate PPE to include eye protection, gloves and gown while with the patient.