Children’s Minnesota is open, safe and ready to care for your family. From enhanced safety precautions to virtual care, in our clinics and in our hospitals, we’re doing everything we can to keep our amazing patients—your children—safe.
Don’t delay care for your child
Our pediatricians urge you not to wait to get routine care. Vaccinations and well-child check-ups are critical to keep your child healthy and on track with developmental milestones.
In-person visits
Children’s Minnesota is open and safe for any type of care. You can learn more about our precautions to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19 below.
Virtual Care
You can schedule an online virtual visit for many types of appointments. “Telebuddies” may also be used to let care teams visit with hospital patients remotely.
Drive-Up Care
Children’s Minnesota Drive-Up Care is available to children older than the age of 2 who are due for critical immunizations. (Flu shots are available through Drive-Up Care for existing patients.)
How we’re keeping in-person visits safe
“Having experienced the increased precautions Children’s Minnesota has taken due to the pandemic, I knew that she would be as safe as humanly possible while there.”
– Kelly A., Children’s Minnesota patient’s mother
Everyone older than the age of 2 must wear a mask
This includes patients, parents, guardians, staff and contractors.
Rigorous cleaning standards
The virus that causes COVID-19 is easily killed by hospital disinfectants, and we have been doing enhanced cleaning at our locations.
- More frequent and thorough cleaning of all high-touch surfaces and public spaces.
- High room air exchanges in places like our emergency departments and operating rooms that keep fresh air moving into rooms and air with potential droplets rapidly moving out.
- Using UV light to kill viruses in select hospital areas.
Social distancing
Signs and floor markers help us enforce proper social distancing in common areas.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) best practices
All staff are required to wear masks, and all patient-facing staff are required to also wear face shields.
Below you can see more safety measures specific to the type of care your child is receiving.
What to expect during your visit
In our hospitals
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As you prepare for your visit to Children’s Minnesota hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul, know that we are taking many precautions to keep your family safe.
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To keep all of us safe, everyone older than the age of 2 must wear a mask at Children’s Minnesota—whether they are visiting the hospital or one of our clinics.
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Signs will help you remember to wear a mask and to go to the Welcome Center to get a wellness screening.
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You’ll also see reminders to keep 6 feet between you and other patients, families and staff.
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There are stickers on the floor to help you remember to keep your distance. Wait on one of these stickers until the Welcome Center staff calls you up to the desk.
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Friendly staff at the Welcome Center will help you check in.
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At the Welcome Center, you will need to provide a photo ID. Then you will get a wellness screening, which includes a temperature check and screen for symptoms of illness.
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After you are checked in, you will be given a visitor photo ID badge to wear. You will need a new ID badge each day you visit.
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Wash ‘em proud! We have hand sanitizer available throughout the hospitals so you can keep your hands clean.
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To help keep everyone safe, only parents, guardians and staff are allowed to accompany your child throughout their stay at Children’s Minnesota.
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Once you have checked in at the Welcome Center, you will go to the hospital unit, surgery center, or other location that will care for your child. You’ll check in at the front desk.
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You child will be given an ID bracelet.
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We set up our lobbies to make social distancing easy. The chairs are spaced 6 feet apart. and we posted helpful signs for an added reminder.
We will bring you back to your room as soon as possible.
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The environmental services staff is doing enhanced cleaning throughout our hospitals.
Lobbies and other spaces are cleaned frequently.
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Surfaces are cleaned often.
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Children’s Minnesota nurses, doctors and staff wear face masks. They also sanitize or wash their hands whenever they enter or leave your room.
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Masks aren’t the only way staff protect you and protect themselves from illness. You may see some staff in even more Personal Protective Equipment (or PPE).
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We aim to make your visit as comfortable as possible for you and your child.
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We thank you for coming to Children’s Minnesota where we care for the most amazing people on Earth – kids!
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We’re so glad you chose Children’s Minnesota for your child’s care.
In our clinics
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Children’s Minnesota is taking many precautions to keep your family safe at our primary and specialty care clinics located throughout the Twin Cities metro.
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Face masks are required of all patients and visitors over the age of 2 in our clinics.
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Magazines, books and other items have been removed from lobbies and exam rooms to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Lobbies are cleaned often, and we will bring you back to your exam room as soon as possible.
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Our staff will be wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) including face masks and face shields.
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We encourage well-child check-ups, and regularly scheduled vaccines and flu shots.
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One parent or guardian will be allowed to accompany each child during the visit.
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If you prefer, you can also schedule vaccinations through Children’s Minnesota Drive-Up Care – offered at some clinics.
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For Drive-Up Care, there will be signs to direct you for parking. After you park, please call the number on the sign to let clinic staff know you are here.
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One of our staff members will come to your car for a quick and easy vaccination.
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You can schedule drive-up vaccinations for regularly scheduled immunizations.
We are unable to provide flu shots through drive-up care at this time.
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It’s just like getting a vaccine in the office only you never have to leave your car.
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Children’s Minnesota has many options for immunizations, so it’s easy to keep your kids healthy.
Surgeries
Surgeries are being scheduled at Children’s Minnesota surgery centers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. As you prepare for surgery, know that your child is getting the best care from a surgical team that is trained exclusively to care for children. Our team is taking many precautions to keep your family safe.
PPE
Gowns, masks, and face shields can look scary. This song created by our staff explains PPE to kids.
Patient stories
Jordyn’s story
After Jordyn began treatment, the COVID-19 pandemic began. But that didn’t change the fact that Jordyn’s treatment needed to continue.
Jordyn’s care team told her: “Cancer doesn’t stop” and neither would they. While clinic and hospital visits looked different due to the pandemic, her care team—from her doctors to home health nurses to physical therapists—helped her prioritize her goals and get better, while she was still juggling a full-time job as a civil engineer.
Emergency care during COVID-19: Ben’s story
Two years ago, Ben was in a car accident and suffered numerous injuries including a severe traumatic brain injury.
Years after receiving care at Children’s Minnesota for that injury, Ben was admitted for a second neurosurgery.
Care during a pandemic: J.J.’s and Bridget’s stories
J.J. was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 4 years old. She finished treatment in August 2019 and has been returning to the clinic every two months for bloodwork.
Bridget broke her arm falling off the monkey bars in June. Her first—and hopefully only—trip to the emergency department was as good as ever.
Related articles
Going back to school safely
School looks much different this fall as Minnesota continues to make careful choices to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
Safely celebrating Halloween
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out guidelines to help parents plan a safe celebration for their kids. Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd, chief education officer at Children’s Minnesota, shared more about these guidelines.
New recommendations before surgery
As you prepare for surgery at Children’s Minnesota, know that your child is getting the best care from a surgical team that is trained exclusively to care for children. Our team is taking many precautions to keep your family safe.
