Kaweah Delta announces visitor policy change, emergency department detour
Kaweah Delta announces visitor policy change, emergency department detour
Starting Nov. 2, detour will be in effect for emergency department parking
lot entrance
VISALIA, CA – Due to a continued decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations,
Kaweah Delta has further modified its visitor policy and is allowing patients
having elective surgeries to have one visitor, provided they meet screening
requirements.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome back our visitors and
families. Limiting visitors was one of the most difficult actions that
we had to take during this pandemic even though safety was at the forefront
of it,” Herbst said, noting that visitors were first allowed back
Oct. 19. “We are a compassionate organization and we know how critically
important it is to be surrounded by friends and family when you are in
the hospital.”
The visitor policy modification generally allows patients of Kaweah Delta
Medical Center, who are not in isolation for COVID-19 (with the exception
of patients in the Emergency Department) to have one unique visitor each
day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. provided they:
- Pass a COVID-19 screening prior to 6 p.m. at the hospital’s Acequia
Avenue entrance.
- Have not recently tested positive for COVID-19.
- Are not in quarantine for COVID-19 (pending testing, exposure, etc.).
- Are older than 12 years old.
- Wear a surgical face mask.
- Remain in the patient’s room except to use the restroom or get food.
Kaweah Delta’s Emergency Department only allows visitors in the following
situations:
- End-of-life patients
- Patients whose conditions are deteriorating rapidly and need family by
their side
- Patients who are having major surgery, trauma, and at high risk of death
- Patients requiring supervision
- Patients who are children.
Emergency Department Detour
Starting Monday, Nov. 2, patients and visitors who coming to Kaweah Delta’s
Emergency Department will need to enter the Medical Center’s parking
lot from Locust Street. Kaweah Delta’s parking lot entrance at Mineral
King Avenue will close as part of the ongoing construction of the Medical
Center’s Emergency Department expansion. The project is expected
to be complete in Spring 2021. Patients and visitors will be able to access
the Emergency Department parking lot at Locust Street only. Signs announcing
the detour will be placed throughout downtown Visalia. The recommended
detours are:
For those traveling west on Mineral King Ave:
- Turn right at South Court Street
- Turn left on West Acequia Avenue
- Turn left on South Locust Street
For those exiting Highway 198 East:
- Turn left on South Watson Street
- Continue on South West Street
- Turn right on West Acequia Avenue
- Turn right at South Locust Street
For those traveling north on South Court Street:
- Continue on South Court Street
- Turn left on West Acequia Avenue
- Turn left on South Locust Street
Kaweah Delta’s Emergency Department (ED) is undergoing a multi-phase
expansion that is expected to be complete in early 2021. It will modernize,
expand, and improve Kaweah Delta’s ED facilities to better serve
patients and meet the needs of the growing community by:
- Growing the number of patient beds from 41 to 74 beds
- Nearly doubling the size of the waiting room to accommodate 100+ patients.
Already, the project has added 25 beds to its emergency department and
opened a new area that is helping patients seeking emergency care get
more quickly screened by medical providers.
Kaweah Delta shares COVID-19 information and regular updates, including
parking and construction news, with the community on its website at
www.kaweahdelta.org/COVID19 and on its social media accounts. #