Patient and Staff Safety

Physical Distancing Throughout Our Locations

• Limiting visitors (one per patient for outpatient visits and procedures and two per patient for inpatient care)
• Limiting the number of people in elevators
• Installed Plexiglas dividers at all registration locations
• Rearranged waiting room seating to allow patients and their visitor to stay 6 feet apart
• Asking families to wait in their car until we are ready (care teams are sharing details with families)

Cleaning and Sanitizing

• Increased the number of times our facilities are being cleaned and sanitized
• High-touch areas like door handles, elevator buttons and telephones are being given especially frequent attention
• Appointments are being spaced to allow additional deep cleaning of exam rooms and clinical spaces between patients
• Encouraging patients and families to use hand sanitizer and practice good hand washing

Scheduling

• Scheduling fewer patients to maintain physical distancing on-site
• Continuing to offer telehealth phone or video visits if appropriate

Updated Visitor Guidelines

Updated 5/19/2020

Inpatient Visitors (for patients admitted to the hospital for overnight/multi-day stays): Effective Tuesday, May 19, 2020, inpatients may now have two visitors in their room and accompanying them on campus. This includes surgery patients who will be admitted after their procedure. Families will still follow the same guidelines previously in place:

• Two visitors (over the age of 18) identified for the duration of the stay.  
• Daily screening upon arrival including temperature checks and additional screening as necessary.
• Masks worn at all times while on campus and visitors remain in the patient’s room during their visit. 

Outpatient Visitors (patients going home the same day or in observation): Visitor Guidelines are unchanged. One adult may accompany a patient during outpatient visits and procedures. This ensures we can maintain safe distancing for all families moving around campus, riding elevators and visiting our outpatient clinics and services. This includes Outpatient Surgery, Urgent Care, Radiology and Emergency Department.

Safety First: Learn how we’re caring for our patients and visitors during COVID-19. 

Updates and Resources

Telehealth

We are now offering telehealth services for most outpatient services. Learn more here. 

Financial Assistance

We are committed to providing health care for children regardless of their ability to pay. Click here for more information about financial assistance. 

Traveling Families

Our Global Patient Services team helps connect families to resources to support them during their stay. They can even make hotel reservations on your behalf. Learn more.

Other News

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Donation Drop Off

At this time, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is not accepting handmade fabric masks. For donating fabric masks and where they can be most useful, as a starting point, please contact your local public health department.

In terms of medical supplies, Nationwide Children’s is accepting new, in original packaging, never-used, and unopened N95 respirators, surgical masks, ear loop and duckbill masks of all sizes, face shields, exam gloves, hand sanitizer that has greater than 60% alcohol, hand soap, eye protection, no touch infrared thermometers and more. Donors with less than one car full of items may drop them off in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital main lobby located at 630 Children’s Drive. Donors with more than one car full of items should reach out to Jillean Bastian for arrangements.

Urgent Care Locations Open

All Nationwide Children’s Hospital Urgent Care locations remain open. Due to visitor restrictions, only one adult may accompany a patient to any outpatient location. Call your child’s pediatrician or family doctor before seeking urgent care unless your child’s physician is unavailable or your child is experiencing a medical emergency. Click here to find the Urgent Care closest to you and view wait times.