Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) recognizes the importance visitors play in the care and recovery of patients. As local COVID-19 case counts change, it is also critical that the health system adjust visitation guidelines quickly to balance patient care and overall safety in SJHS facilities.
On August 11, Saint Joseph Health System modified visitation guidelines based on the number of active COVID cases per 100,000 residents in St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties during the previous seven days. COVID cases are reported daily by the Indiana Department of Health. SJHS will continue to monitor COVID-19 data each day and will update the visitation policy weekly as needed.
Three visitation levels have been defined. Each level has its own visitation guidelines.
Level Green – Less than or equal to 50 cases per 100,000 people
Level Yellow – Greater than 50 but less than 100 cases per 100,000 people
Level Red – Greater than or equal to 100 cases per 100,000 people
On Wednesday, August 11, the case count was 111 cases per 100,000 people. Effective Friday, August 13, we will adjust and implement the Level Red visitation guidelines. This shift in visitation guidelines is needed to ensure overall safety in our health system so we can continue to serve our patients. We will communicate changes in visitation guidelines as effectively as possible and visitors can view current guidelines at sjmed.com/visitor-policy.
As we experience another surge in active COVID-19 cases, we highly encourage everyone to follow CDC guidance, including wearing masks indoors and getting vaccinated. These measures are critical to control the spread of COVID-19, especially the highly contagious delta variant. If you have not done so already, please schedule your vaccine appointment today at ourshot.in.gov.
