According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Big Country is now considered low risk of COVID-19 community transmission. The CDC’s new metrics weigh hospital admissions and hospital capacity taken up by COVID-19 patients, and focus on reducing medically significant illness and minimizing strain on the healthcare system.

With the low risk designation, Hendrick Health will relax PPE/masking and screening policies in its hospitals and outpatient healthcare settings, effective May 2, 2022.

Throughout the pandemic, Hendrick Health has been committed to protecting its patients, its caregivers, its visitors, its employees and the public through masking, restricting visitation and making vaccines available.

Hendrick will continue to monitor transmission rates and hospitalizations closely with the ability to quickly reinstate visitation and masking restrictions if community transmission and hospitalizations begin to rise.

Visitation updates include:

• Visitors are not required to wear masks in Hendrick Health’s public spaces, including lobbies, waiting areas, cafeterias, gift shops and coffee shops. Appropriate PPE will still be required for visitation to COVID-19 patients.
• Visitors will not be required to check-in at screening/check-in stations.
• By entering a Hendrick facility, visitors attest that they have not had contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or thought to have COVID-19 in the last 10 days, are not displaying symptoms of COVID-19, and are not waiting on COVID-19 test results nor have been diagnosed with an active COVID-19 infection.
• Visitors under the age of 16 are permitted if accompanied by an adult chaperone.
• Two (2) visitors per patient room. Patients can have an unlimited number of visitors within the facility.
• COVID patient visitation – one (1) visitor per patient (PPE required) in the facility at a time.
• Coffee shops, gift shops and waiting rooms are open to visitors and the public.
• Some patient care areas may have additional visitation restrictions, including patients diagnosed with or under investigation for COVID-19.

At this time, Hendrick Health’s Community COVID-19 Safety Dial is New Normal. This tool is designed to help the community stay informed about the status of COVID-19 in the area, as well as the status of healthcare in the area.

Hendrick encourages those who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised or at high risk to continue masking, and those who are eligible to be vaccinated.

NOTE: Hendrick Hospice Care and Hendrick Dialysis Center are regulated by a different governing organizations, and will continue to follow those guidelines for their facilities.