No Visitor Restrictions Now in place at Sierra View Medical Center

Porterville, CA March 20, 2020: Effective March 20, 2020 no visitors are allowed at Sierra View Medical Center (SVMC). This order coincides with Governor Newsom’s state-wide “stay at home or at their place of residence” executive order.

Limiting patients to no visitors hospital-wide will help protect patients, staff and community members. This restriction applies to offsite facilities including the SVMC Urology Clinic, SVMC Wound Healing Center, SVMC’s Roger S. Good Cancer Treatment Center, the Sierra View Medical Office Plaza, SVMC Urgent Care, and SVMC Physical Therapy.

One visitor (must be the same visitor throughout the patient’s stay) may accompany the following patients as an exception to the NO VISITOR POLICY now in place. This includes:

• Labor & Delivery patients
• NICU patients
• Pediatric (minor) patients
• End of Life patients
• Patients suffering from dementia, developmentally delayed patients, and patients requiring a full-time caregiver
• Patients accompanied with escorts (healthcare workers, law enforcement) from outside agencies will be allowed according to the patient’s needs and safety of other patients and our staff.

Additional Visitor Information

• Patients and their loved ones must designate a single individual who will be the point of contact for all information and conversations with the care team.
• The designated point of contact will be responsible for sharing information with other family members or loved ones that should have this information.
• The designated point of contact will hear from a member of the care team at least once a day for regular updates, or more frequently if there are significant changes in the condition of the patient or their care.
• Some exceptions may apply as determined by the caregiving team.

We understand this is not going to be an easy or welcome transition. Please know this is to ensure everyone’s safety during this COVID-19 pandemic and to comply with state-wide directives.

While our NO VISITOR POLICY is in place, if you are granted visitor access, please check-in at the Information Desk before continuing to the patient care areas. All patients and any allowed visitors will be pre-screened before entry into any Sierra View Medical Center location. Identification is required.

To ensure a safe and comfortable environment for Sierra View Medical Center patients and guests, please be courteous of others and adhere to the following Behavior Guidelines:

• Allowed visitors will not interfere with the activities of any employee(s).
• Allowed visitors must behave in a quiet and calm manner.
• Allowed visitors will remain at the designated patient's bedside or in authorized waiting areas only.
• Allowed visitors who do not comply with hospital policy will be asked to leave.

Patients and visitors may call ahead to learn about COVID-19 visitor precautions. The phone number to the hotline, available in English and Spanish, is 559-791-3707.

Sierra View Medical Center is working around the clock to stay on top of the evolving COVID-19 situation to ensure both excellent patient care as well as family and visitor safety and to help comply with state-wide directives. The public can find further information at sierra-view.com/covid19.