Skilled Nursing Facility

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More than a decade ago, Iredell Memorial became the first hospital in North Carolina to apply and receive a Certificate of Need for transitional care, or "short term, long term care." Hospital leadership at that time believed, and state officials agreed, that there was a need between acute hospital care and community skilled nursing home care that simply was not being met.

Soon after, Iredell's 18-bed Hospital-Based Skilled Nursing Facility (HB/SNF) opened to provide short-stay nursing care to patients who are not ill enough to be admitted to an acute care hospital but are too ill to go home or to be cared for in a free-standing traditional skilled nursing facility. HB/SNF expanded to two floors and 48 beds when additional bed licenses were purchased from a local nursing home.

Even though the Skilled Nursing Facility is located within Iredell Memorial Hospital, it is a separate service and the patient's physician must order the admission. However, all of the hospital's services are available if and when needed.

Patients are also invited to take part in daily activities in the One West Dining Room in HB/SNF. These include crafts, games, gospel music, fun classes, Bible study, a breakfast club, weekly church services and family time. Groups such as the Living with Cancer Support Group and Grief Share also hold meetings in the dining room.

To be cared for in this facility, a patient's health needs must meet the federal definition of skilled care. If a patient is accepted for admission and is currently a patient in the hospital, he or she will be discharged from the hospital and admitted to the HB/SNF.

Iredell's HB/SNF is certified by Medicare/Medicaid.

Visiting during COVID-19

The Skilled Nursing Facility will allow visitation to all residents at all times during visiting hours.

• Indoor and outdoor visitation is available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Other times may be available if needed. Please contact the Director of Nursing to make arrangements for visits outside of normal visiting hours.
• Residents and staff will be screened daily for the presence of symptoms, including temperature check, as well as exposure to COVID-19.
• Visitors will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to the start of each visit. If a visitor has been diagnosed with COVID-19 they must abide by the CDC recommendation of a 10-day quarantine and go 24 hours with no symptoms without the use of medication.
• If a visitor develops symptoms of or a diagnosis of COVID-19 within 2 days of visiting a resident, they must notify the facility director immediately.
• Symptoms of COVID 19 are as follows:
  • • Fever equal to or greater than 100.0 F
    • Cough
    • Shortness of breath
    • Sore throat
    • Muscle aches
    • Chills
    • Headache
    • Loss of taste or smell
    • Vomiting or diarrhea
• Visitors must check in at either the Emergency Department entrance (Entrance E) or the Main entrance (Entrance A) for screening and proceed directly to the resident’s room or visitation space where they will remain for the duration of their visit.
• Staff, residents, and visitors must use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after visitation.
• Visitation may occur outside of these guidelines in certain compassionate situations as deemed appropriate by the Administrator or Director of Nursing.
• Staff, residents, and visitors must wear a mask that covers both the nose and mouth for the duration of the visit. Physical distancing of six feet is recommended. Cloth masks are not allowed and a surgical mask will be provided.
• Although not recommended, residents who are on transmission-based precautions or quarantine MAY still receive visitors in their room. The resident should wear a well-fitting mask if tolerated. Visitors must be aware of the risks of visiting and precautions necessary to visit. Visitors must adhere to the core principles of infection prevention and wear appropriate PPE as directed by staff.