Piedmont Atlanta Hospital has launched the Piedmont Care Gram program to provide a way for families and friends of patients to keep in touch while visitor restrictions are in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Families and friends of patients at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital can email greetings to [email protected]. Please include the patient’s name and room number at the top of the message, and a member of the Patient Experience Team will deliver it within 24 – 48 hours.
 
“We know it’s difficult for our patients not to have their family and friends with them at the bedside, so we wanted to provide an easy way to reach out,” said Pamela Redman, Director of Patient Experience at Piedmont Atlanta. “We hope that sharing these messages with our patients will give them a boost and let them know their loved ones are thinking of them and wishing them well.”
 
Last month, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital announced that visitors would not be permitted in the hospital, with few exceptions.
 
Exceptions include labor and delivery (where one support person can be present), essential family members of patients receiving end-of-life care, and legal guardians accompanying minors who are receiving treatment. Visitors who meet these criteria must call ahead to receive preapproval and must pass health screenings before being allowed to enter the hospital.
 
“Restricting visitation now helps us keep patients safe, but we know it’s not easy for them or for their loved ones,” Redman said. “Sharing these messages is a simple, effective and important way to remind our patients that they aren’t alone.”