COVID-19 Visitation Guidelines and Resources

As we all know, this is a very fluid situation and the information on this site will change regularly. Please continue to check this page for updates.

Visitation Guidelines

At East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, we put your safety first.

While COVID-19 is still a threat in our community, we want to make your child and family as comfortable as possible during your visit or inpatient stay. Our current visitation policy is:

• Two (2) visitors are allowed per hospitalized, outpatient, or office visit patient throughout our entire campus.
  • No visitors under the age of 16 are permitted in the inpatient hospital setting. Siblings are allowed in our outpatient areas such as Koppel Plaza and Medical Office buildings, rehabilitation centers, and primary care office practices. Siblings will count as one of the two permitted visitors
  • Outpatient visits are in areas such as Radiology, Clinics, and other testing.
  • Office visits refer to physician offices in Koppel Plaza and the Medical Office Building.
• For additional protection of our patients and families, if your child is admitted with a COVID positive diagnosis, further visitation restrictions may apply that will be discussed by the inpatient care team.
• (UPDATED: 5/9/22) Masks are now Optional for the public in all public areas of the hospital. This policy is subject to change depending on current community transmission levels

We thank you for your willingness in helping to keep our patients, caregivers and staff safe.

• Please help us protect our patients. NO ONE with any illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc.) should visit.
• TELL US! Do you or does your child have a respiratory illness? Alert hospital staff immediately!
• No visitors age 16 or under are permitted in the hospital. Siblings are allowed in Koppel Plaza/MOB but count as visitors.

General Admittance

Are you bringing your child to the Emergency Department, for outpatient visit or diagnostic test, or being admitted for an inpatient stay?

• Enter through a designated entry point. All of the hospital’s main entrances are open during the day.
  
• Inpatient families will check-in and check-out at a designated entry point.
• After 9pm, all non-emergency visitors should enter through the South Tower Main Entrance located at 21st Street and Clinch Ave.
• We understand that not everyone plans a visit to Children's Hospital and families may have extenuating circumstances when visiting. Our staff will evaluate and provide guidance. You can contact Care Coordination for exception inquiries.
• Visitors will be given a colored sticker to alert staff they have been screened. Please keep the sticker visible at all times while on Children’s Hospital’s campus

Do you need an accommodation?

Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with a disability. If you need an accommodation, please inform the screening station. Please note that the ADA generally does not require accommodations to the universal masking policy.

Are you a vendor?

• Only essential deliveries are being accepted, sales calls are not be permitted at this time.
• Vendors should enter/exit through the loading dock.
• Vendors should register with Supply Chain after screening.
• Vendors will be given a colored sticker to alert staff they have been screened. Please keep the sticker visible at all times while on Children’s Hospital’s campus.

Are you a food delivery service?

• Food delivery drivers will be stopped at a designated entrance and the staff member or family who ordered food should meet the delivery driver at the entrance.

Are you coming to pick up medical records from the Health Information Management (HIM) office?

• Medical Records (HIM) is not accepting in-person requests for medical records or other health information. If you need your child’s medical records, please complete the linked form. Return the completed, signed and dated form via fax, email or mail along with a copy of your photo ID.

  Fax: 865-541-8230

  Email: medrecords@etch.com

  Mail: East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
  ATTN: Medical Records – Release of Information
  2018 Clinch Avenue
  Knoxville, TN 37916

  If you have questions or cannot download the form, please call 865-541-8102.

Are you coming for a job interview or pre-employment process?

• Interviewees and new employees should enter through the Medical Office Building entrance
• Interviewees and new employees should immediately report to Human Resources upon entering the building.
• If you are sick or have a temperature >100°F, you should call Human Resources at 865-541-8267 and reschedule your appointment.

Questions and Answers

If you have questions or are concerned about COVID-19, please refer to these resources from Tennessee Department of Health and the CDC:

• COVID-19 Testing Sites
  • Knoxville/Knox County Health Department Testing Sites
  • Blount County Health Department
  • Anderson County Health Department
  • Sevier County Health Department
  • Campbell County Health Department
    
    
  • For other counties in Tennessee, go to https://covid19.tn.gov/testing-sites/
    
    
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
• What To Do If You Are Sick