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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2021
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BATON ROUGE, LA – Due to recent increases in confirmed COVID-19 cases and rising hospitalizations as a result of the Delta variant, beginning this evening at 8 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake will limit visitors to its hospital facilities except in extenuating circumstances, such as end of life care, until further notice.
Visitation of patients, who are not COVID positive, will be limited to one visitor/advocate (18 years or older) who may remain at the bedside throughout your hospital stay. The advocate should be the patient’s spouse or close relative who can help make health care decisions, if needed. The patient will identify their advocate’s name on admission. If the primary advocate cannot stay at the bedside, the patient may select an alternate advocate (spouse or close relative) to replace the primary advocate while he/she needs relief. All visiting hours end at 8 p.m., so if the designated visitor chooses to go home for the night, they may return the next morning when visiting hours begin at 8am.
For patients admitted with COVID-19, one essential visitor/advocate will be allowed for 1 hour per day, at a time coordinated with the physician/nurse care team, except in end of life situations where extended times of visitation may be coordinated with the units Director of Nursing or the House Manager.
Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital will allow two essential adult patient advocates to remain at the bedside for the entire stay.
“We are troubled by the trend in cases and hospitalizations throughout our community,” said Catherine O’Neal, MD, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake. “We know how important the support of family and loved ones are to our patients while we care for them, but limiting visitation is important to protect our patients and our medical teams.”
Visitors who are allowed in the facility will be required to go through a screening process including a temperature check and answering symptom-related questions, including fever greater than or equal to 100.4°F, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, congestion that differs from their typical seasonal allergies, body aches, fatigue, loss of smell/taste, and/or diarrhea. All visitors and patients will be required to wear masks upon entering and while inside our facilities.
As alternatives to visiting, family members and friends are encouraged to use methods for staying connected to loved ones such as phone calls, video chats or sending cards. Patients and families can work with their care team to arrange these methods.
To view Our Lady of the Lake's visitation policy online, click here.
Our Lady of the Lake continues to remind the community that we all play an important part in preventing the spread of COVID-19. To schedule your COVID-19 vaccine at one of our convenient locations, click here.
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About Our Lady of the Lake
Our Lady of the Lake is a not-for-profit healthcare ministry based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with more than 7,500 employees committed to serving the Capital Region and building a healthy community through excellence in patient care and education. With an 800-bed Regional Medical Center, a dedicated Children’s Hospital, a 78-bed hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana, two freestanding emergency rooms, and a 500+ provider Physician Group, Our Lady of the Lake provides comprehensive healthcare services for common to complex conditions. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education programs and is recognized in the areas of heart and vascular, trauma and emergency care, stroke, cancer care, minimally-invasive procedures and more. Our Lady of the Lake is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. 0101C0mm4n1c@t10nsA110w
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