To All Memphis Area Pastors, Ministers, and Clergy,

March 20 2020

To All Memphis Area Pastors, Ministers, and Clergy,
 
Greetings. In this time of great public health need and crucial community partnership related to the coronavirus, we are writing to update you on significant, temporary changes to our hospital visitation policy.  Please see below:
 
Visitor Policy—All Visiting is Suspended Effective Thursday, March 19
 
To protect our patients, staff, visitors, and community during the outbreak of COVID-19, Methodist Le Bonheur is limiting visitors. All visiting is being suspended until the transmission of COVID-19 is no longer a threat to our patients, staff, and community. NO visitors will be allowed in rooms of patients with pending or positive COVID-19 tests.
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare recognizes there are times when having a visitor or family member present is crucial. In these cases, visitors will be allowed based on the situations listed below.  Please note these exceptions only apply if a visitor screens negative based on travel, contact with known or suspected COVID-19 patients or symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath).
 
Exceptional Situations include:
• One parent or legal guardian of the patient who is a minor.
• Obstetric patients may have one support person to accompany them.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have two parents who must remain in the room the duration of the visit.
• Patients at end-of-life may have a very limited number of visitors who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.
• Patients where the family member provides safety (e.g., altered mental or physical status or developmental delay) or is key to patient care (e.g., disruptive behavior) may have one visitor who must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.
• Patients requiring a home caregiver to be trained must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.
• Patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor before and immediately after the procedure/surgery.
 
NOTE: Because pediatric needs are different from adult patients, the Le Bonheur policy will be slightly different. 
 
Please pass on this information to your congregations, communities, and networks. 
 
Our patient care philosophy depends greatly on engaging families, friends, and caregivers to be part of the healing process. The decision to restrict visitors was difficult and made only after careful consideration with our medical staff.  As pastors and leaders in our community, we covet your prayers, support, and partnership in this important effort. We thank you for all that you mean to our health system and for all that you will do in the coming days to lead, protect, and heal our communities.
 
Grateful,
Jonathan
 
 
 
Please make note of my new office phone number below.
_________________________
Rev. Jonathan C. Lewis, BCC, MDiv  
Program Manager of UT & Conference Ministries
Mission Integration Division
 


1211 Union Avenue, Suite 700 
Memphis, TN 38104
(901) 478-0545
jonathan.lewis@mlh.org