Visitor Restrictions

UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital, Community Memorial Hospital and Grundy County Memorial Hospital are restricting hospital visitors, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All routine visiting at the hospitals has been suspended until the transmission of COVID-19 is no longer a threat to our patients, staff and community.

Allen Hospital is closing entrances 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9 to the public. That means Entrances 2 (off West Dale St.), 4 (emergency department) and 8 (outpatient registration off Donald St.) will remain open. All patients and visitors at those locations will be given a health screening and issued a temporary badge upon entry to the facility.

The decision to restrict visitors was difficult and made only after careful consideration. We recognize there are times when having a visitor or family member present is crucial. In these cases, visitors will be allowed based on the exceptions listed below.

In all cases, a visitor will only be allowed if they do not have symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath). Additionally, children under the age of 16 will not be allowed except under extraordinary circumstances. 

Exceptions include:

• Obstetric patients may have one partner and one birth support person accompany them.
• Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have one birth parent plus one significant other who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.
• Patients who are at the end-of-life may have two visitors.
• Patients with disruptive behavior, where a family member is key to their care, may have one visitor.
• Patients who have altered mental status or developmental delays (where caregiver provides safety) may have one visitor.
• Minors under the age of 18 may have one visitor, parents, or guardians.
• Patients undergoing surgery or procedures may have one visitor who must leave the hospital as soon as possible after the procedure/surgery.
• Patients who have a clinic, laboratory, or radiology, as well as those visiting the emergency department may have one person with them.

Visitors allowed must stay in the patients room the entire time of the visit. Once the visitor leaves the patient room, they must leave the hospital. Please note that visitors will not be allowed for patients with a pending or positive COVID-19 test.

We appreciate your understanding during these uncertain times. Our goal is to protect our patients, staff and the community.

For more ways to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, and for the latest updates and guidance in this rapidly evolving situation, please visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov or Iowa Department of Public Health at www.idph.iowa.gov.

Entrance Closures

Allen Hospital has closed entrances 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9 to the public.

Entrance 2 will remain open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. Emergency Entrance 4 will be open 24/7, as usual. Entrance 8 will remain open 5 a.m. – 7 p.m. every day.