Lakewood Ranch Medical Center partially lifts ban on visits to inpatients
Inpatient visitation has resumed at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.
This past Monday, the hospital, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., began allowing one visitor, age 18 or older, to visit patients in the nursing inpatient units from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4- 7 p.m. daily.
Patients who are positive for COVID-19 or are being tested for COVID-19 will not be allowed visitors and additional restrictions may be in place for other patients on isolation precautions. Limited exceptions may be made for certain compassionate care/end-of-life situations.
All visitors will be required to be screened, wear a mask and use hand-sanitizing gel upon entering the facility as well as entering and exiting a patient room.
“We encourage family/friends to continue to call, use FaceTime or Skype if they are unable to visit their loved one or friend,” the hospital said in a press release on Tuesday.
Details of other visitation at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center include:
▪ Women’s Center: one adult screened negative, masked support person who may accompany the patient.
▪ Patients with physical, intellectual, and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments: one adult screened negative, masked support person may accompany the patient.
▪ Outpatient procedures: one adult screened negative, masked visitor may accompany the patient to the pre-surgery waiting room until the patient is called to the Pre-op area. In order to maintain appropriate distancing in the waiting room, visitors should wait offsite or in their car during the procedure. Patients should come prepared to give the Pre-op nurse the name and phone number for the visitor who is their designated ride home.
▪ Inpatient procedures: one adult screened negative, masked visitor may wait in the pre-surgery waiting room until the patient is called to the pre-op area, at which time the visitor should leave the facility. Physicians will contact the designated person when procedures are complete. One screened negative, masked visitor may return during the designated visitation hours: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4- 7 p.m. daily.
▪ ER: one adult screened negative, masked visitor may accompany the patient. The visitor must come in with the patient at the time of arrival. The visitor may accompany a patient who is being admitted only during inpatient visitation hours listed above.
▪ Reminder for OB patient’s families: when picking up mothers and/or newborns, please secure someone to watch older children, since they are not able to visit the hospital.
Visit lwrmc.com and click on Health Alert: Important Coronavirus Update for additional information or follow Lakewood Ranch Medical Center’s Facebook.
Patient visitation at other Bradenton area hospitals
▪ Manatee Memorial Hospital, 206 2nd St. E., has partially lifted a ban on inpatient visitation that has been in place since March 18.
Manatee Memorial Hospital announced Monday that one visitor, age 18 or older, will be allowed to visit patients on the nursing inpatient units from noon to 3 p.m. daily. The new policy started Monday.
For more information about patient visitation at Manatee Memorial, visit www.manateememorial.com and click on Health Alert or follow Manatee Memorial’s Facebook page.
▪ Blake Medical Center, 2020 59th St. W., has not lifted its ban on visiting inpatients.
One visitor per patient is allowed in the Blake emergency room for patients having outpatient surgeries or other outpatient procedures requiring sedation. No visitors are allowed for patients in inpatient units. Exceptions are made on an individual basis, Lisa Kirkland, Blake’s director of marketing, said in an email.
Blake’s visitation policy can be found at https://blakemedicalcenter.com/covid-19/visitor-policy.dot)
Blake Medical Center’s website contains information about universal masking as well as other enhanced safety protections at https://blakemedicalcenter.com/covid-19/latest-updates/enhanced-safety-protections.dot.
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 11:04 AM.
