MUSC Health further tightens visitation related to COVID-19 pandemic, offers supply and funds donation information
March 23, 2020
MUSC Health’s primary goal is the safety of patients, families and care team members. Care team leaders continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and create new ways to best take care of patients. This leads to making decisions, almost hourly, to respond to the challenges and uncertainty resulting from this situation.
In addition to direction from the state of South Carolina, MUSC Health closely follows CDC guidelines and is learning in real time from the experience of other hospitals and state systems around the country as we deal with this new virus.
In alignment with Governor McMaster’s executive order for hospitals to eliminate patient visitation, except for patients who are near the end of life, MUSC Health has enacted new visitation guidelines. In addition to the screening and hand hygiene protocols currently in place, this means:
For Adult Patients
(University Hospital, University Hospital Extension and ART)
- We will not permit visitors in the building unless the physician feels a patient is at the end of life. At that time, we will contact a family member, friend or other caregiver to be at the bedside. No more than two (2) of these individuals may be present at a time.
- Exceptions may be made by hospital administration based on ongoing patient safety needs.
- Daily screening will continue to take place at designated hospital entrances.
For Pediatric Patients and Patients in Labor
(MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion)
- Only two (2) parents, legal guardians or caregivers at a time will be permitted at the bedside with their child. No other family members will be permitted into the hospital or allowed to visit.
- For pregnant mothers, one (1) significant other will be permitted to enter the hospital or be at the mother’s bedside.
We realize these guidelines place additional stress on patients and families, and we wish that we could do something different. However, as a community, if we want to limit the spread of COVID-19 and how sick people become, we must take these kinds of precautions. Patients and families are encouraged to use technology to stay connected to friends and family while keeping safe from infections that can be spread from person to person.
COVID-19 Donations to MUSC Health
MUSC Health is receiving numerous contacts from businesses, community organizations, and individuals who want to help provide necessary and in-demand health care supplies. Please see the below frequently asked questions and answers that should help those wishing to connect with MUSC Health in this way:
How do I donate or sell supplies, such as masks, hand sanitizer or other items from my company to MUSC Health?
As a state-supported institution, MUSC Health must follow established procurement processes. Naturally, certain types of supplies must be verified as sterile or we are not permitted to purchase or accept them as donations. Please see https://muschealth.org/patients-visitors/coronavirus-information .
When will I hear back from MUSC Health about my supplies-related inquiry?
Due to the volume that MUSC Health is experiencing at this time, expect to hear back from MUSC within three business days after sending your supplies-related email.
Where can I drop off supplies for donation to MUSC Health?
Any donations must be discussed, vetted and agreed to with a hospital supply chain team member before a donation site is disclosed. Individual MUSC or MUSC Health team members are not able to declare sites for drop-off without permission from supply chain, public safety and hospital security leaders.
What if I’d like to donate money to MUSC or MUSC Health?
As always, one of the best ways to connect with MUSC or MUSC Health to make a donation is by accessing our website at http://giving.musc.edu. If you would like to make a gift by phone or have a more detailed or specific gift concept to discuss, please call 843-792-2678.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the oldest medical school in the South, as well as the state’s only integrated, academic health sciences center with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. The state’s leader in obtaining biomedical research funds, in fiscal year 2019, MUSC set a new high, bringing in more than $284 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available, while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 1,600 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians’ practice plan, and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eight hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Florence, Lancaster and Marion counties. In 2019, for the fifth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
