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Visitors

Safety First: Visitor policy Update February 7, 2023

At Alta Vista Regional Hospital, the health and safety of our patients and our workforce is our top priority. We appreciate your help to assure our hospital is safe for all patients and staff.

Visitation Protocol

Consistent with current rates of COVID infection in our community, the following visitation policy is in effect.

We no longer ask patients to complete a symptom screening form or universally mask upon entry. This also means our main entrance has reopened!  

To continue reducing risk to others in the facility, everyone must still report if

  • They are currently COVID-19-positive and under quarantine
  • Are experiencing any respiratory illness symptoms (including COVID-like symptoms)
  • Have been recently exposed to COVID-19

Alta Vista welcomes visitors and knows how important family, close friends, and support persons are to the healing and recovery of patients.  In general, patients are welcome to have visitors 24 hours a day, based on patient preference.  However, some departments or units have specific guidelines to keep patients safe and allow adequate time to rest. 

  • Visitors must be healthy and free of fever and/or respiratory symptoms
  • Visitors may not impede patient care
  • Limited visitation may be required for safety reasons
  • Visitors to patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 or other contagious illnesses will be offered masks and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) and instructed on how to wear the equipment.  Wearing PPE by visitors is an important infection control measure when visiting, but it does not guarantee visitor safety and may not prevent the visitor from contracting the contagious illness.
    • One (1) healthy adult (age 18 or older) will be allowed to visit at a time.
    • Visitors will be asked to adhere to strict handwashing throughout the visit.
    • Visitors may not visit any other patient in the facility after being with infectious patients.
    • Visitors will remain in the patient’s room except when they need the restroom or when leaving the facility.

These protocols reflect multiple factors including increased COVID-19 vaccination rates, increased availability of N95 respirators, decreased community incidents of COVID-19 infections, and decreased COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. These protocols could be changed again at any time depending on what’s happening with COVID-19 in New Mexico and government health orders.

 

Updated 2/7/2023

  • Alta Vista Regional Hospital is a tobacco-free campus. No smoking is allowed anywhere on the grounds.
  • Don’t bring patients food or candies unless your attending doctor gives permission.

  • Alta Vista Regional Hospital is a tobacco-free campus. No smoking is allowed anywhere on the grounds.
  • Don’t bring patients food or candies unless your attending doctor gives permission.