HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital begins limited re-opening of front lobby entrance for visitors
EFFINGHAM— As of Thursday, February 18, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital began a limited re-opening of the front lobby entrance to the hospital off Maple Street to allow visitors access to the facility without having to enter through the Prairie Heart entrance or the emergency room.
“I am excited to welcome people back to our front door. With our recent change in the visitor guidelines, adding additional accessibility to our building and services is an important step to take,” said Mike Janis, St. Anthony’s interim president and CEO.
The following guidelines are in place to continue to ensure the safety of patients and colleagues.
- The entrance will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please note this opening is dependent on the COVID-19 prevalence in the community and may change.
- The Prairie Heart Institute entrance (south of the main entrance) is open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It should be used by those coming to the hospital for outpatient testing, Prairie Heart clinic visits and IV therapy if appointments are after 7 a.m.
- Those coming to the hospital for surgical procedures should continue to use the emergency department entrance at this time.
- All patients and visitors should utilize the emergency department entrance on Mulberry Street at all other times when the Prairie Heart Institute and front lobby entrance doors are locked.
- All patients and visitors will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, must wear a mask and have a temperature check upon entrance. Visitors will only be allowed if they are free of symptoms.
Here are the current visitor guidelines for various departments at St. Anthony’s:
Emergency department:
- Adult patient: One visitor who must stay in the patient’s room for duration of visit.
- Pediatric patient: Two parents and/or guardians who must stay in the patient’s room for duration of visit.
Inpatient units:
- Adult inpatients: One visitor during the hours of 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Pediatrics inpatients: Two parents or guardians allowed.
- Women and infants center: One visitor who must stay the same for the duration of the hospital stay.
- End-of-life patients: Two visitors at a time.
Surgery (inpatient and outpatient): One visitor in the waiting room only for the duration of the surgical procedure.
Outpatient diagnostic and therapy services: Patients are encouraged to come alone whenever possible or have visitors wait outside until services are complete.
These guidelines are subject to change at any time to address the health needs of our communities.
For more information about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, visit St. Anthony’s website at stanthonyshospital.org.
