Visitor Policies, COVID Testing & More

Visitor Policies

Updated January 2023

These visitor policies are reviewed regularly for the safety of our patients, staff, and community members.

 

The rules are as follows: 

  • Visitors are welcome in the facility.
    • We do, however, encourage personal limitation of visitors: 
      • During high community spread of infectious diseases such as influenza, RSV, and covid
      • If you are immunocompromised
  • Visiting hours will be from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM daily.
  • Review our entrance policy before entering as a visitor.
  • No visitors are allowed in the Behavioral Health Unit at this time. 
  • Will still only allow one visitor allowed in COVID positive patient areas. 
  • Visitors with a fever, cough, shortness of breath, awaiting a COVID-19 test result, or recently exposed to a COVID-19 positive person are asked to refrain from or delay visitation. 
  • Visitors will be required to wear a mask in the following situations:
    • The visitor is entering the room of a patient who is COVID-19 positive. 
    • The visitor is entering a unit that has been designated as an isolation unit. 

 

Once again, we appreciate your patience and support to help us maintain a safe environment for our patients, colleagues, and care providers.

 

Clinics and Outpatient Services

Outpatient Services and Portneuf Medical Group Clinics: 

The rules are as follows: 

  • Support persons are welcome in the facility.
    • We do, however, encourage personal limitation of support persons
      • During high community spread of infectious diseases such as influenza, RSV, and COVID
      • If you are immunocompromised
  • Review our entire entracne policy before entering as a visitor.
  • Will still only allow one visitor allowed in COVID positive patient areas. 
  • Visitors with a fever, cough, shortness of breath, awaiting a COVID-19 test result, or recently exposed to a COVID-19 positive person are asked to refrain from or delay visitation. 

Virtual/Remote Visitation

Visitor restrictions may be difficult for many patients and their families. We encourage you to stay connected via technology.

All patient rooms have a landline telephone. Rooms can be reached by dialing (208) 239 – 2 + the three digit room number or by dialing our switchboard at (208) 239-1000 and asking to be connected to the patient room.

If a patient is confidential in our system, our switchboard will not transfer a caller.

Patients with a smart phone are encouraged to use technology like FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, Skype and other available apps. Video recordings within the building are not allowed.

What You Must Do To Enter A Portneuf Health Facility:

  • Visit between posted visitation hours. We currently do not allow visitors to stay overnight with patients unless there is a clear need. Exceptions include visitors of pediatric patients, laboring and postpartum mothers and patients who are suffering from dementia or are critically ill or at end of life.  
  • Be in good health. We do not allow visitors with signs of illness, those who have active COVID-19, those who have had anyone in their household who has tested postive of exhibited symptoms, or those with a pending COVID-19 test result. 
  • Review our entrance policy before entering as a visitor. This includes a short series of questions about symptoms. If visitors are experiencing symptoms, we ask that they refrain from visiting and recommend that they reach out to their healthcare provider for advice and potential COVID testing. 
  • Wash their hands or use alcohol sanitizer before entering and after leaving our facilities and rooms to prevent the spread of viruses on high-touch areas. 
  • Maintain social distance from others while in the facility. This includes staying six feet away from other visitors or patients and avoiding gathering in waiting rooms, lobbies, or entrances. 
  • Follow current masking guidelines. All visitors in all areas must follow current masking guidelines.
  • Visitors are encouraged to support their loved ones and stay in the patient room. Please leave the facility after visitation. We ask that you do not linger in common spaces. There may be times when you are asked to wait in a waiting room. The care team will inform you. 
  • We continue to encourage hospital patients to communicate electronically or by phone with loved ones and friends. We understand that communicating with loved ones and friends is still an important part of a patient's healing. Video chat, voice, and texting options are digital alternatives and help patients and loved ones feel connected. Should patients desire to visit others virtually and lack a device (e.g. smartphone or tablet), please let the patient care team know so we may help you with devices and technical support. 
  • We currently do not allow visitors to the Adult Behavioral Health Unit. Unlike other hospital units, Adult Behavioral Health Units have more open and communal spaces to promote interactions between patients and staff, so this makes supporting in-person visitation during the pandemic more of a challenge. We will escalate and work to accommodate in-person meetings with visitors based on patient care and need and continue to accommodate virtual communication between patients and visitors. 

Policies for our Medical Group Clinics:

Visitor Policies for our medical group clinics are the same as the visitor policies for the hospital (see above). This includes:

  • Bariatrics
  • Cardiology
  • Ear, Nose & Throat
  • Heart & Lung
  • Infectious Disease
  • Lung & Sleep
  • Nephrology & Dialysis
  • Neuroscience & Rehab
  • Orthopedics
  • Surgical Specialists
  • Urology
  • Wound Care

Policies for our Off-Site Locations:

Visitor Policies for our off-site locations are the same as the visitor policies for the hospital (see above). This includes:

  • Portneuf Primary Care
  • Cancer Center
  • Diabetes Education
  • Gastroenterology
  • Idaho Medical Imaging
  • Idaho Vein Center
  • Work Medicine

COVID Testing

As of Monday, September 6th, Portneuf Medical Center will no longer be collecting COVID swabs on outpatients in the outpatient draw station.

COVID-19 collection and testing is available:

Express Lab
444 Hospital Way Bldg. 100, Suite 224
Monday – Friday from 9am-4pm

Click HERE for Southeast Idaho Public Health Information on Testing