News & Media
COVID-19 Visitor Policy
To protect our patients and colleagues at Weems Memorial Hospital from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we continue to modify our visitor policy to meet the changing needs of our patients and community. Our team is working to ensure families stay as connected as possible. For the safety of our patients and colleagues, we are doing our best to limit visitors and minimize entries and exits. However, we understand the benefits of our patients having a care partner as part of their healing process. A care partner is someone the patient chooses to be involved in their care. For this reason, we’ve established the visitor policy below. (Effective 1/6/2022)
One (1) visitor per patient per day during visiting hours is permitted.
Visiting hours are 7 am-7 pm.
All visitors must meet the requirements listed below before entering and while inside the facility.
• All permitted visitors must undergo a health screening upon entering the facility. Those who don’t pass this screening will not be allowed entry.
• All visitors must properly wear an approved protective face mask while in the hospital. If you do not have one, we will provide one upon entry. If a visitor is non-compliant with properly wearing a mask, they will be asked to leave.
• All visitors must follow the CDC’s guidelines on handwashing and social distancing.
• Patients who are at end-of-life will be allowed a maximum of three (3) visitors at one time.
• Visitor access is limited to (a) their final destination (patient room).
• Patients who are known COVID-19 positive or under investigation for COVID-19 will not be allowed visitors.
• Patients requiring a care partner or visitor past 7 pm will be addressed on a case-by-case basis (including end-of-life, specific care givers and special needs).
• A sitter hired by the patient or patient’s family is not deemed a visitor, but part of the care provider team serving the patient.
• A member of clergy or a religious leader may visit a patient in addition to one visitor per day.
• No visitors under age 16 barring extenuating circumstances.
Inpatient Visitor Policy
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Weems Memorial Hospital has been managing the delicate balance of surrounding our patients with the healing support of loved ones while limiting the risk of exposure to the virus. With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in our community, we have reevaluated our visitor policy with the safety of our patients and colleagues in mind. After careful consideration, the visitor policy is temporarily adjusted to allow only one visitor per patient per day. (Effective 1/6/2022)
Visitors should know:
1. Inpatients can have one visitor per day during visiting hours.
2. All visitors are still required to pass a screening and wear a mask.
3. Visiting hours remain 7 am to 7 pm, with clearly defined exceptions.
Emergency Department Visitor Policy
• The Emergency Center Entrance is for Emergency Patients and their visitor only.
• One visitor per patient, per visit. There will be no rotating visitors at this time.
• Visitors may not re-enter without authorization from nursing staff.
• Waiting area is only available to patients.
• No visitors will be allowed for COVID-19 positive patients.
• Masks must be worn by both patient and care partner for the duration of the visit unless, medically contraindicated.
• Once a patient is admitted, the inpatient visitor guidelines apply, including visiting hours.
Franklin County’s Ambulance Service was awarded 2021 EMS Provider of the Year by the Florida Department of Health. This annual award recognizes an EMS provider that has assumed a leadership role in the Florida EMS system and community; has demonstrated outstanding initiative in public education and/or training; and has demonstrated excellence in the areas of quality assurance/improvement and medical control protocol development/implementation.
The award was accepted by Richard Lewis, EMS Director for Franklin County’s Ambulance Service.
Staywell/Sunshine/Wellcare/Ambetter Health Plan Members
Your health is important to us, and we want to make you aware of a change that may affect you. We were informed by Centene on August 27 that they decided to terminate negotiations and Weems contracts for the above health plans.
What this means for you:
If you do not change plans, then you will need to seek non-emergency care through another provider after our termination dates, for Sunshine/Ambetter – 8/30/2021 and Wellcare/Staywell – 8/31/2021. The Sunshine/Ambetter hospital services contract will terminate 11/30/2021.
Patients currently receiving services as of the termination date may qualify for “continuity of care” and your coverage would continue. Check with your plan at the number on your card.
If you want to keep receiving care from Weems Medical Centers, you will need to inquire about changing to other plans as your provider is no longer in your plan’s network.
Plans we currently participate with include:
| Capital Health Plan | (877) 247-6512 |
| Florida Blue | (800) 352-2583 |
| Humana | (844) 330-7799 |
| United Healthcare | (866) 414-1959 |
| Simply Healthcare | (844) 405-4298 |
Medicaid patients: For more information, contact the Florida Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Helpline and speak with a Medicaid Choice Counselor at 1-877-711-3662 (TDD 1-866-467-4970) or visit www.flmedicaidmanagedcare.com .
We regret the inconvenience this may cause patients.
April marks Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Weems Memorial Hospital has been a part of Franklin County’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) for more than 10 years, providing a coordinated, survivor-focused response to the needs of sexual assault victims.
Weems features a designated room in the Emergency Department equipped for medical staff to administer medical attention to sexual assault victims. According to Director of Nursing Courtney Alford, Weems nurses are equipped to handle medical situations involving cases of sexual abuse. Beyond medical attention, Alford said Weems medical staff compassionately assist sexual assault victims by providing victim advocate resource information.
“We coordinate with other SART partners to make sure sexual assault victims have all the resource information they need to move forward as they recover physically,” Alford said.
Other local SART partners in Franklin County include victim advocates with the Refuge House, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and the Office of the State Attorney.
Refuge House is the domestic and sexual violence center for Franklin County and the seven neighboring counties in north Florida including Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla. The mission of Refuge House is to provide direct services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to their children and families, as well as to eliminate such violence through community education and public advocacy. The group offer guidance and encouragement for families and friends worried about a daughter, sister, child, or parent. You can reach them on their 24 Hour Hotline at (800) 500-1119 or visit their website www.refugehouse.com.
Domestic violence and sexual assault affect thousands of women, children and men in the U.S. every year. According to the National Sexual Assault Hotline, younger people are at the highest risk of sexual violence. Nationally, one in six women in the United States has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Men are not immune. According to the statistics, one out of every 10 rape victims are male.