Phoebe Health to re-structure visitation guidelines

(ALBANY, GA) – With the lowest amount of COVID-19 cases reported since mid-march, the Phoebe Health System is making a large change at the main campus.

They’re re-structuring their visitation guidelines for the first time since the pandemic started.

“Basically what we want to do is we want to start allowing visitors for our non-COVID patients right now. And we’re working towards some type of process to allow family members to see some of our COVID patients as well,” says Phoebe Putney Hospital CEO, Joe Austin

While nothing is set in stone at this time, Austin, alongside Phoebe officials are going to continue making sure that those visiting are healthy and are visiting patients not sick with COVID-19, and it starts as soon as you walk in.

Austin says, “When you come in the front door, you’re now triaged very quickly, and if we suspect you of having any symptoms of COVID, we put you in a separate waiting room now. And now that waiting room isn’t a negative pressure while everyone else is brought to a non-COVID waiting area.”

While the visitation guidelines are loosening up and the case numbers have been in steady decline, Phoebe staff are still erring on the side of caution.

They want to make sure that the continue to minimize the number of cases.

Austin tells us, “The key thing for the public to understand is we are being beyond cautious, as we begin to re-open the hospital for visits. That means everyone who comes, we take you temperature, everyone who comes wears a mask.”

He says that nearly all of the Covid-19 cases are being handled at Phoebe’s North Albany campus.