CHILLICOTHE, OH (March 22, 2021) – Adena Health System announced that it has adjusted its visitor policy effective today in an effort to loosen restrictions due to declines in regional COVID-19 cases.

To ensure a safe environment, all visitors are still required to maintain social distancing, follow hand hygiene guidelines, and must wear a mask or face covering throughout their visit, including while inside patient rooms.

“We recognize how important family, friends and support persons are to a patient’s recovery, and we’re pleased to be able to welcome more people back into our facilities,” said Chief Clinical Officer Kirk Tucker, MD. “As we continuously review all available data, we felt like this was the right time to loosen some of our visitor restrictions as our hospitalizations related to COVID-19 decrease and more people in our communities are being vaccinated.”

He added, “While these are good signs, it does not signal an end in our fight against Coronavirus. I urge everyone to continue to push for adoption of the precautions we all know work – like masking, hand hygiene and social distancing – and push for high rates of vaccination so we can overcome this virus.”

Highlights to the new visitor policy guidelines include:

• Inpatients: Non-COVID patients may have two visitors. Visitation is still restricted for COVID positive or suspected positive patients.
• Outpatient/Ambulatory: One support person allowed per patient. Limits may be necessary based on clinic/department’s space allowing for social distancing.
• Inpatient Maternity/Labor and Delivery/Pediatrics: Patients may have three visitors throughout duration of each day.
• Behavior Health: One visitor per patient between the hours of 5-6:30 p.m.

Hospital visiting hours have also expanded to 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Adena’s full visitor policy is available at Adena.org/VisitorPolicy.