As always, our top priority is safety -- for you, our patients, as well as our employees and surrounding community.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our safety practices have followed the guidance of experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC recently announced updates to its guidance about wearing masks and "social distancing." As a result, as of June 1, 2021, our practices on our campuses and in our hospitals, clinics and other buildings are as follows:
- Masks are required for everyone inside areas where we provide patient care -- all hospitals and clinics.
- Masks are also required for everyone in areas where patients and visitors are likely to be. This includes hallways, cafeterias, lobbies and entrances to buildings that are used for both patient care and other work, like administration or research.
- Masks are required for everyone on all VUMC shuttles.
- Masks are not required outdoors.
- We no longer require spacing in many areas, including elevators, in waiting lines, on shuttles or at outdoor picnic tables.
- Capacity is still restricted in public areas like cafeterias because these are used by patients and visitors who may not yet be vaccinated.
- We no longer screen employees, patients and visitors for fever or other symptoms. However -- just as before COVID-19 -- if you're running a fever or otherwise feeling sick, we ask that you not visit or come to work.
- We maintain restrictions on visitation. See the latest visitation policies here.
We'll continue to enforce the masking requirement inside patient care areas, as recommended by the CDC. As more people continue to get vaccinated against COVID-19 we'll continue to review our practices.