We continue to be mindful of the transmission and community spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus to protect patients, family members, staff and the community. Please help us by following the visitation guidelines outlined below.
*Visitation will be allowed under special considerations such as, patient who is a end-of-lie and patients who have cognitive or communicative disabilities or issues, a support person will be allowed to accompany a patient throughout their stay, whether inpatient or outpatient, according to the qualifiers of outlined by the Office for Civil Rights.
*Exceptions will be granted for pediatric patients under 18, any patient who requires a vital caregiver based upon cognitive or physical disability, special considerations, and trauma patients.
*A healthy visitor is one who does not verbalize or demonstrate these most common/serious COVID symptoms: fever, cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, and chest pain/pressure in chest.
Emergency Department: South Georgia Medical Center’s Emergency Department has been experiencing very high volumes over the past week. To help with capacity and reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, SGMC has adjusted the visitation policy for ED patients. There will be no visitors allowed in the lobby at this time. Patients will provide nursing staff with the phone number of their designated contact person who must wait outside the facility. Once the patient is called back to a room, one person will be allowed to remain with the patient while in the treatment room. An exception will be made for care companions, persons with disability, and children.
Visitation will be allowed under these special considerations:
- Patient who is at end-of-life.
- Patients who have cognitive or communicative disabilities or issues, a support person will be allowed to accompany a patient throughout their stay, whether inpatient or outpatient, according to the qualifiers of outlined by the Office for Civil Rights.
What you can expect when you arrive
VISITOR SCREENING
Visitors can expect to receive a temperature screening and be asked the following questions:
- Do you have respiratory symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath?
- Have you been in contact with someone known or suspected to have COVID-19 within the last 14 days?
If you have a temperature of 100.0 or above and answer “yes” to any of the above questions, you will not be allowed to visit.
VISITORS MUST
- Receive a brief screening upon entry and an authorization badge
- Wear the surgical mask provided by the screener at all times while inside the hospital (even if fully vaccinated)
- Use hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the hospital and patient rooms
- Be over the age of 18
- Remain in patients room, except to use the restroom, get something to eat or drink, or to exit to the lobby
- We strongly discourage visitors over the age of 70 with chronic health conditions.
- Exceptions to these restrictions may be granted by the patient’s care team.
Visitor Entrances
The main entrance will remain closed at this time. Other entrances are identified in the map below.
Entrance Hours of Operation
- Parking Deck: 9am-8:30pm
- Emergency: Open 24/7
- Dasher Heart Center/Outpatient: Open M-F, 9am-8:30pm
SGMC Berrien Campus
- All guidelines above.
- Visitors can only enter through the main lobby.
- No visitors allowed in the Dogwood Senior Health Center GPU.
SGMC Lanier Campus
- All guidelines above.
- Visitors can only enter through the main lobby.
- Visitation Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm and Saturday-Sunday, 9-11am and 5-7pm
South Georgia Medical Center will continue to update its website based on the latest events related to the COVID-19. This page was last updated on August 9, 2021.