(Wilmington, Del. – March 19, 2020)

ChristianaCare wants to provide the safest possible environment for patients, families and caregivers.

Based on the latest available information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local public health authorities, one important way to enhance patient health and safety is to reduce their exposure to potential disease carriers. The fewer people with whom our patients come in contact, the less likely they will be to contract COVID-19 or other infectious diseases.

Effective Thursday, March 19, at 3 p.m. we are instituting strict patient visitation guidelines:

• No visitors are allowed at the hospitals, outpatient services and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute until further notice, with the following exceptions:
  • One visitor is permitted for patients in palliative care or hospice.
  • One visitor or support person is permitted to support laboring and postpartum mothers.
  • One support person is permitted for patients in the emergency department or outpatient services.
  • One visitor is permitted for NICU and pediatric patients.
• Visitors who are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as fever or cough should not come to the hospital or outpatient practices.
• Hospital visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for visitors meeting the criteria listed above.
• All visitors to the hospital will be screened for coronavirus risk before they are allowed to enter. Visitors who have symptoms or do not meet the screening criteria will not be allowed to enter the hospital.
• Hospital visitors must be age 16 or older.
• We also recommend that older adults who may be especially vulnerable to illness refrain from visiting loved ones in the hospital.
• To ensure social distancing, visitors should not congregate in the cafeteria or waiting areas.

We encourage people to explore alternate ways of connecting with their loved ones who are patients in the hospital, including video and phone visits.

We understand that these restrictions are challenging for families who wish to visit and be with their loved ones. However, these restrictions are designed to protect patients, their loved ones and health care workers during this time of coronavirus, influenza and other respiratory illnesses circulating in our community.

What to do if you are concerned you may have coronavirus

ChristianaCare would like to remind the public that most people who are experiencing coronavirus symptoms do not need to go to the emergency department.

Please do not go to the emergency department unless you are experiencing symptoms that are severe or life-threatening. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911.

If you are concerned you have coronavirus, please do NOT show up at your doctor’s office. Instead, please call your doctor and ask if it is appropriate for you to keep or make an appointment, and get instructions from your doctor.

These steps help us to protect your safety and the safety of others.

Please check here for more information about coronavirus.

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About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,430 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

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