Preparing for Your Appointment or Procedure
At Cedars-Sinai, we are following rigorous safety measures to protect our patients and keep employees safe. If you have a medical office visit, hospital stay, or an imaging appointment planned, please read the policies below. Read more about our surgery policies here.
The health and safety of our patients, families and staff are our top priority. Please call your doctor’s office to discuss whether your in-person visit should be rescheduled or moved to a video visit if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness, including:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion
- Runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What We Ask of Our Patients
- Wear a mask. Per CDC guidance, all patients and visitors are still required to wear masks at all times in healthcare settings, including our hospital and outpatient facilities. If you do not have a mask, we will provide one.
- Check the visitor policy. Currently, visitors are limited in Cedars-Sinai facilities. It is critical for the safety of patients and employees that everyone follows these restrictions. Read our policy here.
- Utilize electronic communication. We encourage you to use electronic communication, such as FaceTime and Skype, in place of in-person visitation wherever possible.
- Monitor your health. If you are feeling sick or have suspected symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your physician before your visit to determine if you should be tested or if you should reschedule your procedure. All patients and visitors will be screened when entering the facility.
- Arrive on time. We are practicing physical distancing in our common areas and ask that patients arrive no more than five minutes early unless otherwise indicated by your physician. If you arrive earlier, please wait in your vehicle.
- Plan to be tested before a procedure. Patients with a scheduled procedure will be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to their procedure. Please visit this page for more information for surgical patients.
What You Can Expect From Us
- Universal masking. All of our physicians, staff and patients will be wearing masks at all times.
- Screening. When you arrive at the entrance to a Cedars-Sinai facility, screeners will take your temperature and ask you a series of questions related to COVID-19 symptoms and exposure. All staff members entering our facilities are also screened.
- Hand-sanitizing. During the screening process, everyone who enters our facilities will be asked to apply hand sanitizer before proceeding to their destination.
- Separation. Patients with respiratory or COVID-19 symptoms will be separated in different parts of our facilities.
- Physical distancing. Our waiting rooms and common areas will be laid out to allow for physical distancing. However, caregivers may need to physically approach you for certain procedures or exams.
- Thorough cleaning. All exam rooms, equipment, furniture and common areas will be disinfected between uses.
Virtual Appointments
We offer phone and video appointments when medically appropriate. Contact your doctor for more information.