Patient and visitor safety
Baylor Scott & White still requires you to wear a mask
All patients, visitors and staff are still required to wear a mask at all Baylor Scott & White entities, in line with CDC guidance. Limited exceptions include:
- Children under the age of two
- Anyone with a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask
- Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the mask without assistance
Patients who have or are suspected to have COVID-19 should continue wearing surgical masks provided by our facility.
Hospital visitors with an unapproved mask will be given an approved mask to wear while visiting. Unapproved masks include (but are not limited to) bandanas, masks with valves and neck gaiters.
Patient and visitor screening
Patients will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at registration. Patients who experience any symptoms will be expedited to a designated area.
Visitors will be asked to self-screen for the following COVID-19 symptoms upon entry:
- Fever (100˚F or higher)
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Sore throat
- Weakness
- Muscle pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Loss of smell
- Chills
- Loss of taste
- New severe headache
Visitors with any COVID-19 symptoms will be instructed to not enter the facility unless they are seeking medical care.
Updated visitation policy
Patients receiving care for conditions other than COVID-19 may have visitors of any age. Visitors must follow all visitation guidelines for the facility. We ask visitors to be limited to those essential for the patient’s physical or emotional well-being and care (e.g., care partner, parent). We continue to encourage the use of other methods of visiting patients, such as video calls through cell phones or tablets.
COVID-19/patient under investigation (“PUI”) patients
One visitor per day for one hour (or less as determined by facility) is allowed. The visitor must wear appropriate protective equipment provided by the facility, sign a waiver and follow all staff instructions. More than one visitor may be allowed in certain circumstances as determined by facility leadership.
We ask visitors of a COVID-19 patient/PUI to not visit public areas of the facilities, such as the cafeteria and leave the hospital immediately after the visit is over. Please note the patient’s physician has the right to temporarily prohibit visitation of a COVID-19 patient, if the physician believes a visit may lead to the transmission of an infectious agent that poses a serious community health risk.
Please note that one religious/spiritual counselor is welcome in addition to a patient’s one visitor but must also follow all visitor requirements.
Thank you for your understanding and support in helping to keep our patients, caregivers and visitors safe.
Exceptions to our one-visitor policy
Facilities may grant limited exceptions to the one visitor rule for situations such as end-of-life care, etc.