What to Expect for Your Procedure

Your health and safety is our number one priority. As you prepare for a procedure, we want to reassure you that we have special precautions in place for your safety.

COVID-19 Testing

If you're having an elective procedure in our medical centers, you may be asked by your surgeon/doctor to have a COVID-19 test 5 days prior to your scheduled procedure.

• This will likely be scheduled at a Bryan location in Lincoln or an outpatient testing location in your community.
• The doctor performing your procedure will order this for you.
• If your doctor orders a COVID-19 test, you will need to self-isolate at home immediately after your COVID-19 test, until the time you come to the medical center for your procedure. This includes isolating yourself from other people in your home and using a separate bathroom if possible.
• Your COVID-19 results must be received by 5 p.m. the day before your procedure. If your result is not received by 5 p.m., we will reschedule your case.
• If you are positive for COVID-19, your procedure will be rescheduled for a later date so you can recover.

If you do not need to be COVID-19 tested prior to your surgery/procedure, we recommend self-isolation at home for 14 days prior to your scheduled procedure to reduce the risk of exposure to anyone in the community that may be COVID-19 positive.

What to do if you develop symptoms prior to your procedure

If you develop any signs or symptoms of COVID-like illness:

• Fever
• New onset cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore throat
• New loss of taste or smell

once your procedure has been scheduled, call the doctor performing your procedure to report and determine next steps. If you experience symptoms the morning of your scheduled procedure, please call the location of your procedure to determine next steps:

Bryan Medical Center 402-481-8043
Crete Area Medical Center 402-826-2102
Merrick Medical Center 308-946-3015

Screening Questions for COVID-19

Staff may ask Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended COVID-19 screening questions during your pre-admission call, on arrival at the medical center and in the pre-op area on the day of the procedure. Screenings are to make sure you remain healthy before your procedure. Upon entry into the building your temperature will also be checked.

Keeping you Safe

Our teams are ensuring your safety in several ways while you are in our care:

• Everyone will be wearing masks and performing frequent hand hygiene.
• We will distance ourselves a minimum of 6 feet whenever possible.
• You will be instructed to wear a face covering upon entering the building.
• If you have a cloth mask, you should wear it while in our facility.
• If you do not have a face covering, we will provide a face covering for you.
• The team will provide instructions on when to wear your face covering or mask and how to store it.

COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions

Masks are Required. For the safety of all, we require everyone in our facility to wear a mask. This includes visitors, patients (except in special circumstances), doctors and staff.

The following visitor guidelines and restrictions are in place at Bryan Medical Center for the safety of visitors, patients and staff.

All Support Persons/Visitors Must

• Wear a mask
• Answer and pass screening questions
• Pass a temperature check

Patients with COVID-19

No support persons are allowed for patients with a pending COVID-19 test or with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.

EXCEPTIONS:

• Family Birthplace patient: One designated support person, must stay in patient room
• NICU patient: Two parents/guardians, must stay in patient room
• Pediatric/minor patient (age 19 and younger): Two parents/guardians, must stay in patient room

Overnight Patients Without COVID-19

Non-surgical inpatient 

• One healthy, adult support person, 5 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
• The one designated person remains the same for the entire day; the person can change from day to day if desired

Patient undergoing surgery, overnight stay

• One healthy, adult support person can stay for one hour with patient, once patient has been transferred to inpatient room following surgery
• Following days, 5 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Same Day Procedures and Clinic Visits for Patients Without COVID-19

Same Day Surgery

• One healthy, adult support person can stay with patient until discharged

Diagnostic Test, Interventional Procedure, Outpatient Visit
Bryan Heart, Bryan Specialty Clinic or Tenet Office 

• One healthy, adult support person can stay with patient during appointment

Additional Guidelines 

• Emergency departments - one person, 24/7
• Bryan Family Birthplace - one designated support person, one labor doula, 24/7
• NICU and postpartum infant - two parents/guardians, 24/7
• Pediatric/Minor patient (19 years or younger) - two parents/guardians, 24/7
• Dependent adult needing special assistance - number to be determined by patient’s nurse and administrative manager
• Community clergy who receive a request for a visit by a patient/family may visit those patients
• One contracted interpreter is allowed per patient along with the designated support person. If the interpreter is a family member, then only the interpreter is allowed when needed

Special Circumstances

• Patient receiving end-of-life care - number to be determined by patient’s nurse and administrative manager

• Certified service animals are able to accompany patients, as long as patients are able to care for them. Patients with a pending or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis are unable to have a service animal

Other Ways You Can Connect With a Patient at Bryan Medical Center

• Use our Friends & Family Portal to get hourly updates on your loved one
• Phone a patient’s room directly by dialing:
  • Bryan East Campus 402-481-1xxx (patient room #)
  • Bryan West Campus 402-481-9xxx (patient room #)
  • Bryan Women’s & Children’s 402-481-7xxx (patient room #)
  • Intensive Care Unit, Bryan East Campus 402-481-3640
  • Intensive Care Unit, Bryan West Campus 402-481-9225
• Use your personal devices to communicate (smart phones, iPads, tablets, laptops)
• Should a patient need a charging device, these are available through volunteers and customer care, 402-481-3032
• Flower and gift orders are available through Lori’s Gifts at Bryan, 402-481-8359 (Bryan East Campus) or 402-481-4852 (Bryan West Campus), or order online
• Request an eGreetings to be sent to a patient, delivered Monday–Friday
• Greetings mailed through US Postal Service will be delivered to patients Monday–Friday
• To request a special occasion acknowledgement (i.e. patient birthday, anniversaries, etc.) please contact volunteers and customer care, 402-481-3032

Retail Locations

All retail locations within our medical center locations (cafeterias, Bryan Bean Cafe, gift shops) are closed to the general public. Cash is no longer accepted at any of our retail locations. Please use a debit or credit card. 

Learn about COVID-19 and how to protect yourself and your family

Patient Pick-Up Parking Information

Bryan Medical Center, Bryan East Campus 
Located at 40th & Cotner Blvd. 
1600 S. 48th St., Lincoln, NE 68506
402-481-1111

Reserved: Patient & Visitor Parking Only 
Look for this parking sign in the Plaza surface lot. 

Bryan Medical Center, Bryan West Campus 
Located at 16th & South Streets
2300 S. 16th St., Lincoln, NE 68502
402-481-1111

Reserved: Patient & Visitor Parking Only 
Look for this parking sign in the West surface lot.