Patient appointment and visitor updates: Florida

Patient appointment & visitor updates: Florida

By Mayo Clinic Staff

June 4, 2022

In this section

Clinic appointments
Emergency department & hospital areas
Masks & general safety
Scheduling appointments & contact information

Mayo Clinic continues to support patients and address their health care concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have medical needs, please do not delay seeking care, whether it is COVID-19 related or not. Mayo Clinic has taken precautions to ensure we can safely care for you through both in-person and virtual care.

Please note that before scheduling an appointment, you must notify your care team if you have had a positive COVID-19 test in the past 30 days.

Florida law SB988 guarantees Florida families certain visitation rights. Mayo Clinic will notify patients, and if possible, family members and caregivers, but more information about specific visitation rights is available online.

Attending your in-person clinic appointments

  • We encourage visitors to stay at home. If needed, up to two visitors will be allowed to accompany you in our outpatient clinics.
  • For the safety of your loved ones and others, we are asking that you not bring children under age 13 unless they are actively receiving care in the clinic setting.
  • Due to additional screening activities when entering Mayo Clinic buildings, please allow extra time upon arrival (approximately 15 minutes). Visitors must be free of fever and respiratory symptoms. In response to recently documented cases of breakthrough infections even in vaccinated people, visitors and patients will be required to answer screening questions, regardless of vaccination status. We thank you for your understanding of this need.
  • All surgical patients are tested for COVID-19 between 24 and 48 hours prior to their scheduled surgery date. Testing takes place at Mayo Clinic and results are finalized within 24 hours due to on-site processing capabilities.
  • COVID-19 vaccine: Mayo Clinic is following national and state guidelines regarding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. We strongly recommend that you receive a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to you. We’ll share further information broadly once we can offer the vaccine to patients and visitors. Until then, please consult your local state and county information for the most up-to-date information on how and when you can receive the vaccine.
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Hospital and emergency department

Some visitor policies must vary for short stay unit, overflow stay unit and emergency department patients, as detailed below. We thank you for your understanding.

General inpatient care

  • Patients admitted to the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Florida will be allowed up to two specified visitors at any one time during their hospitalization between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. One visitor may stay overnight.

Short stay unit care

  • Patients are allowed one visitor during the day, and in units that have a recliner for the visitor, one visitor may stay overnight.

Overflow stay unit care
  • Patients are allowed one visitor during the day with no overnight capabilities.

Emergency department care

  • One visitor per patient will be allowed within the emergency department at any time.

Patient visitors may rotate with one another without requiring approval.

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 will be allowed to have visitors. Patients and visitors will be required to comply with personal protective equipment policies.

Your cooperation with these new, temporary guidelines is very much appreciated.

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Masks and general safety

  • All patients, visitors and staff are required to wear a mask that covers both the mouth and the nose to decrease the risk of COVID-19 exposure while on-site. Bring your own face mask or covering to wear while at Mayo Clinic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has details on appropriate face coverings. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided.
  • Hospitalized patients are encouraged to wear a mask at all times but may remove masks when alone in their hospital rooms. Patients are expected to wear a mask when any Mayo Clinic staff member enters the room and when patients leave their rooms.
  • Acceptable masks include cloth, surgical, dust, or N95 masks.
  • Masks should NOT contain an exhalation valve or vent, as these permit unfiltered air to escape.

Visiting Mayo Clinic? Be sure to bring your mask

Mask on. Mask up. Mask always.

At Mayo Clinic, safety for everybody is our highest priority. We are a world leader focused on putting the needs of our patients first.

To do this during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may see staff outside caring for patients, but we also need your help inside, to keep us all safe.

For your own safety and the safety of those around you, including your care team, all patients are expected to wear a mask over their nose and mouth while on Mayo Clinic property.

Check to see if visitors are allowed. If they are, they will be expected to follow mask guidelines as well.

Everybody will be required to proceed through a checkpoint for the safety of our community.

Masks must remain on at all times including in the lobby, and when in the exam room, unless otherwise directed by an approved provider.

If you have questions about wearing a mask for your visit, contact your Mayo Clinic location before arriving on-site.
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Scheduling appointments & contact information

  • To reach the Florida scheduling office, please call 904-953-0853 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, or contact us online.
  • We are also scheduling any testing and imaging studies you may need as part of your care.
  • If you are unable to travel to Mayo Clinic, a telephone or video appointment may be available to meet your care needs. If a video appointment is suggested for you, a Patient Online Services account will be needed. We can assist you with this when you schedule.

During this time, as always, the needs of our patients come first.

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