Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and Mercy Health ease visitor policies for non-COVID patients

CANTON and NORTON SHORES, Mich. (June 10, 2020) – After careful consideration and in alignment with government and health official guidance, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and Mercy Health have modified visitation rules at all eight Trinity Health Michigan hospitals to allow more flexibility for visits to non-COVID patients.

Effective immediately the eight hospitals will allow:

• One visitor, per patient, per day.
• Two visitors per patient, per day for minors, and for patients in Birthing Centers.
• No visitors for COVID-19 positive patients – unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Visitation rules for outpatient offices such as lab and radiology and cancer treatment areas are unchanged at this time. A No Visitor Policy remains in effect, with exceptions under certain circumstances. Visitor policy is subject to change based on specific department needs.

"Our doctors, nurses, and support teams remain committed to providing compassionate, high quality care in a safe environment," said Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, M.D., Ph.D, MHSA, chief clinical officer for Trinity Health Michigan. "We will continue to review and evaluate visitor policies on an ongoing basis to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients and colleagues."

Trinity Health Michigan facilities will continue to enforce elevated safety measures to ensure the health and safety of all visitors, patients and staff. These measures include screening all visitors at point of entry and denying entry to those individuals who do not meet the evaluation criteria. Visitors will also be required to put on a mask or other cloth face covering if they are medically able.

Additionally, the hospitals will strongly discourage visitors from visiting patients at high risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19, including older adults and persons with underlying medical conditions. The hospitals will continue to offer visitors alternatives to in-person visits, such as video or audio calls.

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About Trinity Health Michigan

Trinity Health Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving numerous counties, Trinity Health Michigan is composed of eight hospitals, including the five hospitals of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System located in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Howell, Livonia and Pontiac, and the three-hospital Mercy Health, operating in Grand Rapids and Muskegon. The health system has 2,348 beds and 3,400 physicians. With operating revenues of $3.4 billion, Trinity Health Michigan returns $195 million back to their local communities each year. Together with numerous ambulatory care locations, three home health agencies, one hospice agency and 17 senior living communities owned and/or operated by Trinity Health, Trinity Health Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan residents.

Nationally, Trinity Health is among the country's largest Catholic health care systems. Based in Livonia, Michigan, with operations in 22 states, Trinity Health employs about 129,000 colleagues, including 7,500 physicians and clinicians. The system has annual operating revenues of $18.3 billion, assets of nearly $27 billion, and returns about $1.2 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. For more information, visit www.trinity-health.org.