MICHIGAN, USA — Over a dozen major health care providers in Michigan are moving toward optional patient masking in the coming days.
The health care systems that made the announcement Thursday include Ascension Michigan, Bronson Healthcare, Corewell Health, Covenant HealthCare, Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, McLaren Health Care, Michigan Medicine, Munson Healthcare, MyMichigan Health, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services and Trinity Health Michigan.
The decision was made to move away from mandatory masking because of three major factors:
- COVID-19 patients in hospitals has drastically fallen across the state.
- Medical treatments and vaccines are now available to combat the COVID-19 virus.
- Doctors, patients and loved ones want the human connection of seeing one another's face to be restored.
Each of the healthcare systems have announced specific details about the optional masking, including implementation dates and exceptions.
Ascension Michigan
- Effective immediately: Ascension Michigan acute care and ambulatory centers have suspended the routine use of hospital-grade masks except in units providing care to special immunocompromised populations or patients with an increased risk of complications from COVID-19. These include intensive care units, oncology units/centers and transplant units.
- Effective Tuesday, April 18: Masking will become optional for patients, visitors, and employees at Bronson Healthcare hospitals and outpatient locations, except for those who exhibit symptoms of respiratory or infectious illness. Masking will continue at Bronson Commons – a skilled nursing facility.
- Effective Friday, April 14, at 6 a.m.: Optional masking for patients and clinical teams at all hospitals and locations, except long-term care and skilled nursing facilities and transplant clinics.
- Effective Monday, April 17: Masking will be optional for staff, patients, visitors, and volunteers at Covenant facilities with a few exceptions. Details available on the Covenant website.
- Effective Friday, April 14: Masking will be optional for patients and staff at all Detroit Medical Center hospitals and locations.
- Effective Friday, April 14: Masks will be optional at Henry Ford Health facilities except for inpatient areas where we care for immunocompromised patients.
- Effective Friday, April 14 at 7 a.m.: Masking is recommended but optional for patients, visitors and clinical teams at our Grand Rapids hospital campus, West Michigan outpatient locations, and Mary Free Bed Orthotics & Prosthetic + Bionics locations. The Mary Free Bed Sub-Acute Rehabilitation program will continue to require masks for patients, visitors and staff.
- Effective Monday, April 17: Masking will become optional for patients, visitors, and employees at all McLaren Health Care hospital and outpatient locations, except for designated critical care units, Karmanos Cancer Institute facilities, subacute/outpatient rehabilitation facilities, and skilled nursing facilities.
- Michigan Medicine updated masking guidelines on April 5.
- Effective Friday, April 14: Universal masking will no longer be required in Munson Healthcare hospitals and clinics – with the exception of long-term care and skilled nursing facilities. In addition, the health system will return to its pre-pandemic visitation policy.
- Visitors and patients are no longer required to mask in non-patient care areas, including common entryways, hallways and waiting rooms. Patient care areas are defined as any location in which patients are being screened, evaluated, treated or admitted.
- Effective Thursday, April 13: Employees and visitors are no longer required to wear a mask except in 24/7 patient care settings and specialty care units. Patients will continue to be screened/tested for COVID-19 at admission and are not required to mask unless endorsing symptoms of illness or diagnosed with COVID-19 infection.
- Effective Monday, April 17: Optional masking for patients, visitors and colleagues at hospitals, outpatient facilities, home health, and physician offices, except for senior living communities.
All hospitals in the state will continue to provide free masks and hand sanitizer to patients at entrances. Patients can also request that their care team wear masks.
Masking policies could change in the future if COVID-19, the flu or other viruses are spreading rapidly in the community.
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