SAN ANTONIO – Brooke Army Medical Center will no longer allow visitors into the facility unless they are determined to be an “essential support person” of a patient, officials said Friday.
According to a news release, exceptions include Power of Attorney/End of Life, Labor and Delivery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Pediatric ICU and Pediatrics. In certain cases, based on the judgement of the medical team, restrictions may be put in place for an “essential support” person.
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The restrictive policy also includes BAMC employees who have family members in the hospital, the news release said. If visitation is allowed, the visitor must remain in the direct vicinity of the patient.
"While we understand the importance of family support during hospitalization, the new coronavirus (COVID-19) requires us to temporarily adjust our visiting policy in order to keep our patients and visitors safe from infection," the news release said.
Visitors allowed into the building will undergo screening at points of entrance using the CDC recommendation for COVID-19 screening. Staff will also provide hand hygiene gel at entrances and require use prior to entry into the facility.
If the screening is negative and hygiene is completed, staff will provide the visitor with a sticker indicating the visitor has been screened and is deemed healthy, with the date and initials of the screener. Visitors must wear the sticker in a visible place while in the building to indicate that screening has been completed.
If the screening is positive, the visitor will not be permitted entrance to the facility. Beneficiaries will be directed to the screening area in Parking Lot C for further evaluation. Non-beneficiaries will be directed to return home and to call their health care provider for additional screening.
Entrance Information and Hours: Monday - Friday
- Garden Entrance will be open 24/7
- Primary entrance for all staff
- Only entrance for all personnel – 8 p.m.-7 a.m.
- The Bed Tower/Flagpole entrance will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Entrance for patients and visitors
- Entrance for staff riding the Garage Shuttle
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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