Patients & Visitors
A Letter From the CEO
Click here to read A Letter to the Community from Denten Park Market CEO, Northwest Health.
Current Visitor Guidelines
The safety of patients, visitors and our healthcare team members is critical to our delivery of quality medical care. When in the hospital for treatment, the best interest of our patients is to minimize unnecessary exposure to infectious or communicable diseases.
As the number of confirmed and presumptive cases continues to grow in Northwest Arkansas, we are making additional changes to our five hospitals' visitor policies out of an abundance of caution to protect the health of our patients, staff and community, and slow the further spread of COVID-19. On Friday, March 27, we will change our visitor procedures as follows. No visitors will be allowed with the following exceptions:
- For patients receiving end-of-life care at the discretion of the physician.
- One support person for laboring mothers (Patients who have a contracted professional doula to support them in labor will be able to have the doula in the labor room in addition to their one visitor / support person. Doulas are recognized by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses as essential personnel and part of the maternity care team.)
- One parent per pediatric patient at a time.
- One parent per NICU patient at a time.
- One visitor for wheelchair-bound patients and those needing special assistance.
- One visitor or driver for patients undergoing urgent procedures.
- One visitor per emergency room patient deemed to be in critical condition by the ER physician; one visitor for an emergency room patient who is wheelchair-bound and requires assistance; minor patients may be accompanied by one parent.
All visitors are asked to practice infection prevention.
- Sanitize hands when entering the hospital and when entering or exiting patient rooms.
- Cover coughs or sneezes with elbow or a tissue and dispose of used tissues in the trash.
- Sanitize hands after coughing or sneezing.
People who have traveled to a high-risk area for COVID-19 or had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 are not permitted to visit patients. Visitors will be asked a short series of questions upon entrance to each of our five hospitals. Visitors with risk factors for COVID-19 and those who have a fever or symptoms of a respiratory illness will not be allowed to visit. During this time, the number of entrances into each hospital will be limited, as follows.
- Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville – Visitors and patients should use the ER entrance 24/7.
- Northwest Medical Center-Springdale – On weekdays, visitors should use the North or Outpatient Diagnostic entrance between 6 am – 6 pm. On weekends, the North entrance will be open between 6 am – 6 pm. The ER entrance will be open 24/7.
- Physicians’ Specialty Hospital – On weekdays, visitors should use the main entrance from 5 am – 5 pm. After 5 pm and on weekends, the ER will be the only entry point.
- Siloam Springs Regional Hospital – Visitors should use the main entrance at all times.
- Willow Creek Women’s Hospital – Seven days a week, visitors should use the front entrance between 5 am-10 pm. Between 10 pm and 5 am, the ER will be the only entrance.
All visitors are asked to practice infection prevention.
- Sanitize your hands when entering the hospital and when entering or exiting patient rooms.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow or a tissue; dispose of used tissues in the trash.
- Sanitize your hands after coughing or sneezing.
You may also call a patient’s room so they can hear your voice and you can hear how they are doing. The hospital has free Wi-Fi, so you may visit patients using Facetime or another video communication app.
We appreciate your understanding and compliance. With your help, we can maintain a safe environment for all our patients, visitors, and staff.
Facts about coronavirus (COVID-19), how you can protect yourself, what to do if you are sick and more is at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Arkansas Department of Health. The ADH has established a COVID-19 hotline to call if you or a person you know may have symptoms of the virus. The hotline can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-632-4502
At Northwest Health, we understand that coming to the hospital as a patient or as a loved one's support person can be a difficult, often overwhelming experience. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital stay or stopping by to see friends and family, knowing where to go and what to bring will help make your visit less stressful. To make your experience easier, we want to provide you with helpful information you may need to plan your visit, such as what to expect, parking instructions, transportation and more.
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