Brookings Hospital Opens Inpatient Care Unit to Visitors

Following a decline in COVID-19 positive cases in the community, Brookings Hospital has reopened the inpatient care unit to visitors, allowing one visitor per patient per day for all non-COVID patients.

“Because we have experienced a decline in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, we’ve decided to reopen our inpatient care unit to visitors. While we’re only allowing a single visitor per patient per day, we feel this will greatly aid in our patients’ healing,” said Medical Surgical and Emergency Department Director Karen Weber. “We remind the community, if we see a surge in COVID-19 cases, we may need to reinstate the no visitor policy again.”

To protect patients and healthcare workers alike, the one visitor per day rule will be strictly enforced. The daily visitor may leave and come back the same day, but a new visitor may not take the first visitor’s place.

One visitor/support person will still be allowed per patient per day for outpatient procedures, emergency room visits and clinic visits at this time. In addition, OB patients will still be allowed one partner plus one birth support person, such as a doula. Visitor restrictions remain in place for The Neighborhoods at Brookview skilled nursing home.

All individuals entering Brookings Health System facilities will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms. They will be asked to follow all infection control guidelines, including proper hand hygiene, and asked to don a cloth mask. Patients, visitors and support persons may bring their own mask or may opt to wear one supplied by the health system. Individuals will also be encouraged to maintain six-foot social distances and not to unnecessarily linger in public spaces.

More information about Brookings Health’s efforts to fight COVID-19 can be found at brookingshealth.org/covid.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.