COVID-19 UNMH Visitor Policy: Effective August 9, 2021

The University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) is following guidelines created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New Mexico Department of Health. We are working to make sure staff and resources are ready to care for our New Mexico community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage patient family members to use phone calls, FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and other online platforms to stay in touch with their loved ones in the hospital.

Effective 8/9/21, all UNMH Visitors are required to wear a hospital-provided procedural mask when they enter our facilities. Masks must be worn in all common areas including hallways, public bathrooms, and waiting rooms.

All Visitors:

• Must be screened for symptoms at first point of contact.
• Visitors may be asked to not wait in the waiting rooms due to space constraints and need to maintain safe social distancing.
• Visitors should wait in their cars if unable to be in a patient’s room and must stay in the patient’s room while visiting.
• No visitor will be allowed to enter our facilities if they have a fever or are not feeling well.

We appreciate your help and patience to make sure our hospital is safe for all patients and staff. This policy may change based on our daily review of COVID-19 community spread.

Additional Visitor Rules For Specific Departments:

Emergency Department, Urgent Care and Outpatient Clinics

• Emergency Department/UCC:
  • Patients may have one visitor when in single patient rooms only. Please Note: No visitors allowed in the EDRU, Triage, MEC or Decon.
  • Visitors may not wait in the waiting rooms due to space constraints and need to maintain safe social distancing.
• Outpatient Clinics (Including Outpatient Behavioral Health):
  • One visitor may attend the clinic visit with a patient for support or assistance, if needed.
  • We will limit the number of patients/visitors in waiting rooms to 75% capacity.
  • Areas with expanded waiting rooms/halls will continue current social distancing practices.
  • Patients will be escorted to exam rooms as soon as possible.
• Pediatric-Only Outpatient Clinics:
  • Parents or guardians (max. 2 adults) may accompany the patient.
  • Nurse supervisors may make exceptions for specific situations.

Inpatient Units

• General Adult Inpatient Units
  • One visitor is allowed per patient and per day.
  • Visiting hours are between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  • All visitors must be14 years of age or older.
• Inpatient Pediatrics
  • Parents and guardians are allowed in the patient room.
  • Parents and guardians can visit their child 24 hours, 7 days a week.
  • Due to the inability to properly socially distance, the Newborn ICU, ICN 3, ICN 4, only one parent of guardian is allowed at bedside.
• Labor & Delivery and Maternity
  • Labor and Delivery (L&D) patients may have two significant others present in the room during labor.
  • Maternity patients may have one significant other in the room 24 hours, 7 days a week.
• Inpatient Behavioral Health
  • No visitors are allowed in the Psychiatric Centers. This is because of the communal living environment and space limitations.
  • Rare exceptions may be made. The Administrator on Call (AOC) makes this decision with physician leadership.

Inpatient Units for Adult COVID-19 Care

• Visitors are not allowed to visit COVID-19 positive patients or patients who are waiting to find out if they have COVID-19. We recommend you stay in touch through video visits.

All Patients Undergoing End-of-Life Care

• The patient may have 2 groups of 3 visitors, one after the other. The unit director or nurse supervisor will arrange this process.
• All visitors must stay in their cars until it is their turn to visit.
• All visitors must stay in the patient room during the visit.
• All visitors must follow UNMH’s hand washing rules. Please use hand gel or wash with soap and water before you enter the patient’s room.
• Avoid touching any surfaces before you enter the patient’s room.
• When possible, the unit staff should tell Security Dispatch (505-272-2160) about the next group of visitors coming in for the patient.
• This visitor policy follows the New Mexico Governor’s 5 people gathering rule.
• This includes the patient, 3 visitors and 1 nurse.