News

LA GRANDE – Effective Monday, August 3, 2020 Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics (GRH) has amended its visitor policy in compliance with standards set by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

GRH is very pleased to announce that all patients may have one visitor and/or support person when admitted into the hospital, or while being seen in our clinics and hospital-based outpatient services such as ultrasound, etc. Visitors/support persons will have limited access to our facilities to help protect our patients and employees, and they must wear a mask and go through the screening process.

Guidelines for a patient’s designated support person, which could be a family member, friend, or other individual who supports the patient during the course of a hospital stay, are the same. Not only may the designated support person visit the patient, but he or she may also exercise a patient’s visitation rights on behalf of the patient with respect to other visitors, when the patient is unable to do so.

This limited visitor policy will remain in effect until OHA announces any changes. We ask for patience as we transition to this new less restrictive policy. We ask that we all continue to be mindful of our personal responsibilities to keep everyone safe. Visitors who do not pass the screening process will still not be allowed into our facilities. However, this overall relaxing of restrictions is good news for our patients and for our community.

1. Hospital visitation hours of 11AM to 8:30 PM remain in place and will be enforced for the Medical/Surgical (M/S), Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Family Birthing Center (FBC).
2. Wearing a face covering or mask is required of all visitors. If the one they come with is found to be inappropriate, one will be provided.
3. In-person visitation is limited to patients who do not have COVID-19 and are not under investigation for the virus. Telephone and remote communications with family and friends are encouraged and electronic devices will be provided for the purpose of visitation.
4. Visitors are limited to one adult (18-years and older) per patient per day who meets screening criteria and complies with the facility’s infection control measures. Exceptions are as follows:
   1. Inpatients (admitted into the hospital) may have up to two designated visitors in a day, one at a time.
   2. Patients facing end of life – up to two visitors at a time may visit as deemed appropriate by attending medical staff or house supervisor. One visitor may stay after visitation hours end.
   3. Maternity patients – designated support person is allowed to stay overnight.
   4. Pediatric patients (17-years and younger) – may have up to two visitors a day (includes parent/guardian). One may stay outside of the established visitation hours.
   5. Rare, brief exceptions to allow one child visitor or visitation outside visiting hours in special circumstances must be mutually agreed upon by the attending provider and applicable manager or house supervisor who will take into account:
      1. The communication needs of the patient
      2. Whether the risk of spreading COVID-19 can be mitigated
      3. The emotional and physical toll that restrictions and limitations have on family and friends.

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Grande Ronde Hospital, Inc. is a state and nationally recognized and award winning not-for-profit health system that includes a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital and 12 outpatient clinics. We are located in Union County, Oregon, serving our base population of more than 25,000 residents, as well as providing services for the greater Eastern Oregon region. Since 1907, Grande Ronde Hospital has led this region in efforts to stabilize and secure rural health care services for the communities we serve, while also working to improve the quality of life of all our residents. Today we employ more than 700 people, all dedicated to providing quality health care services to our patients. We offer a broad range of diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic outpatient services, a Level IV Trauma Emergency Services Department, a Family Birthing Center; Physical, Occupational and Speech Rehabilitation Therapy and Sports Medicine Services, and Home Care Services providing both home health and hospice care needs. We also operate 12 primary and specialty care clinics: the Cardiology Clinic, the Dermatology Clinic, the Elgin Clinic, the Hematology & Oncology Clinic, the Neurology Clinic, the Regional Medical Clinic, the Sleep Clinic, the Specialty Clinic (General Surgery, Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Otolaryngology (ENT), Podiatry, and Urology), the Walk-In Clinic, the Wound Care Clinic, the Union Clinic, and the Women’s & Children’s Clinic (Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics). For more information, please visit www.grh.org.