SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Due to the increased cases of COVID-19 positive people in our community and in our hospitals, Methodist Healthcare has implemented a no visitor policy to further protect our patients and employees from exposure, effective immediately.

While we encourage family members and friends to use alternative ways to interact with their loved ones, including phone and video calls, we do understand how important that support is to patients. For this reason, some visitor exceptions will be made.

• Procedural or elective surgery patients (inpatient or outpatient) may have one designated adult visitor throughout the duration of the procedure and during the discharge process. If the patient is admitted (or is already an inpatient), the visitor must leave the campus.
• Emergency department patients may have one designated adult visitor throughout the outpatient visit and during the discharge process. Once a decision is made to admit the patient, the visitor must leave the campus immediately.

Other exceptions to the visitor policy may include:

• The patient is at end of life
• The patient is considered to meet the criteria for a vulnerable population
• Family presence promotes the patient's well-being and/or care
• Family/visitor is departing for military deployment
• The patient is a laboring mother
• The patient is pediatric or in the NICU

Upon entry to the building, visitors who meet one of the exceptions will be screened for fever, respiratory symptoms and exposure to COVID-19. All visitors and hospital personnel entering the facility, must follow Universal Masking criteria.