Your safety and comfort is our priority
Over the last few months, the community has come together by staying apart. You’ve stayed home, made sacrifices and put off the important things – like doctor’s appointments and health screenings. But now at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital we are ready to care for you - with new safety precautions and other important steps to make your visit an easy one and get you back to the care you need.
When you visit, you’ll notice some things are different. This was done with your safety in mind.
PARKING
If you are coming to the hospital and dropping off a patient, during normal business hours and in non-emergency situations, you can use the circle drive and park where available. Please avoid parking in the Emergency Department lots, unless you are visiting the Emergency Room. You will be given a phone number where you can check in on the patient if you wait in the car or go home to wait. If you do plan to wait in your car in the parking lot, please maintain social distancing if possible.
TESTING
At this time, patients coming in for surgeries and some procedures are required to be tested for COVID-19 as part of the standard pre-procedure process. We will work with you to schedule the test and refer you to the proper testing site. If needed, you will have your COVID-19 test 48-72 hours in advance of the scheduled procedure, and then will need to quarantine yourself between the testing and the procedure to reduce your risk of exposure.
For those coming in for an office visit, our staff will guide you through temperature and wellness checks prior to your appointment.
MASKING
Patients, visitors and staff must wear face masks at all BJC HealthCare facilities. Review complete masking guidelines.
CHECK-IN
We have redesigned our registration process to reduce contact. If you are coming to the hospital, enter through the main entrance and staff will be there to help you. If you are coming to one of our medical office buildings, you may remain in your car and complete most of the registration over the phone. Then, a member of your care team will provide instructions for you to safely enter the facilities. If you come by public transportation, there will be an area for you to wait outside for your check-in.
For those coming in for office visits, you may notice additional clear shields around front desk areas and reconfigured waiting rooms. This is intended to protect against virus transmission. We’ll also encourage electronic payment when possible. You may also have the ability to do an e-check in to fill out paperwork and pay for your visit on your smartphone or computer as soon as your appointment is scheduled to reduce time inside the office.
VISITORS
We’re committed to the health and safety of our patients, families and community. We recognize the role loved ones play in the healing process and are committed to providing our patients with an environment that is both warm and supportive, and safely designed to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Until the threat of COVID-19 has been significantly reduced, a limited visitor policy is in place. Read the full details here.
Visitors who meet the criteria listed below will be welcomed during the following hours:
- Adult inpatient visiting hours: Monday – Friday from 11:30 am to 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm
- End-of-life, OB and pediatric inpatients will be allowed visitors outside of the adult inpatient hours.
Patients are encouraged to have Virtual Visitors through phone calls, FaceTime and other virtual methods. In cases where patients are unable to do so on their own, the care team will help facilitate virtual visits through the BJC Virtual Visitor Program.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
Signs and floor decals are being installed throughout our hospital to illustrate the six feet recommended for social distancing between you and others. Chairs in our waiting rooms and tables in our cafeterias have been rearranged to comply with spacing recommendations.
CLEAN COMMON AREAS
In addition to our normally stringent cleaning protocols, our environmental services team has increased its sanitization protocols around the facility. You may see additional people wiping down handrails, elevator buttons and chairs throughout the day. Hand hygiene stations are positioned throughout the hospital to encourage frequent hand washing.
CAFETERIA
Patient meals continue to be prepared in designated, clean spaces with limited traffic. In our public cafeteria, there have been several changes to reduce the need for staff or visitors to interact with high-touch items. For example, electronic payments are requested in lieu of cash. A member of our food and nutrition team will be happy to serve all the options rather than asking people to self-serve at salad bars or other stations. And, a full array of bottled or canned beverages is available with single use cups for self-serve.
PATIENT ROOMS
To help protect you the entire time of your stay, our environmental services teams remains focused on CDC protocols to disinfect high-touch areas in patient rooms such as door handles, light switches, and tables. The lounging chairs in patient rooms are made of textiles that are easily cleaned. Traffic in and out of patient rooms is limited to essential staff and visitors. All of our rooms are private rooms, with only one patient per room.
EMPLOYEE PRECAUTIONS
All employees working at a BJC facility are screened daily for symptoms. We emphasize proper hand hygiene and provide the appropriate gowns, gloves, and masks in accordance with CDC guidelines.
We encourage our staff to practice social distancing whenever possible in an effort to keep one another safe and ready to care for you. When the job allows, our non-clinical staff has been asked to work from home to limit the traffic through our facilities.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU
When you come to Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital, you will find a clean and disinfected environment with safety precautions such as social distancing and masking in place. Signs will guide you around the facility, and even though we have limited visitors, we promise to keep those important to you informed.
Don’t ignore something as important as your health. When you are ready for us, we will be ready for you.