While national attention around COVID-19 continues to accelerate, the healing ministry of Mercy remains focused on the safety and health of our patients and coworkers. Mercy leaders are working around the clock to keep our community safe.
Out of an abundance of caution, our next critical step in safeguarding our patients and co-workers is to begin enforcing restricted visitor access statewide. Effective at 6 a.m. Saturday, March 14, all Mercy hospitals in Oklahoma will limit access to one visitor per Mercy patient. Visitors will be allowed in Mercy hospitals 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekend hours may vary by location.
Each patient’s one visitor must meet the following criteria:
• Visitors must be 16 years or older.
• Visitors must be feverfree.
• Visitors must be coughfree.
• After a patient’s one visitor leaves, another may enter.
Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis and include visitors for any patients nearing the end of life. Hospital services will not be impacted.
“The safety of our patients, visitors and co-workers is of the utmost importance,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and regional strategy officer for Mercy. “We realize this new policy may create an inconvenience for our visitors, but we must prevent unnecessary exposure to our patients and caregivers.”
Patients with appointments at physician offices in other buildings on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City will not be impacted by these restrictions. Those buildings include Coletta, Mercy Hospital Tower, McAuley, Plaza and Meinders NeuroScience Institute. There will be no direct visitor access to the hospital from these buildings.