Franciscan Health removes mask mandate for Central Indiana hospitals

Franciscan Health Central Indiana is removing its mandatory masking policies for area hospitals.

Effective today the new masking policy is as follows:

  • Masking is optional for staff and visitors entering our hospitals and in non-clinical areas;
  • Masking is required in certain patients’ rooms based on their isolation status;
  • Workers and visitors with signs or symptoms of any respiratory illness should not enter hospitals;
  • Clinicians and hospital staff should wear a mask if requested to do so by a patient or family member.

The change is in effect for all Indy-area campuses on the southside, Mooresville and Carmel. Franciscan is taking these steps in accordance with the guidance of local, state and federal public health and hospitals. Hospital officials will continue to follow our local experience and the data in monitoring the situation going forward, hospital officials said in a statement on the policy change.

“Every one of us have looked forward to this day since March 2020,” Lori Price, president and CEO, said in the statement. “It is because of our staff’s hard work and efforts Franciscan has reached this significant if not normal milestone. We thank all of them and the public for their help over the last three years to protect the health and well-being of the patients we are privileged to serve.”

If circumstances warrant a change, the hospital system reserves the right to return to mandatory hospital-approved masking, officials said.

Johnson Memorial Health has also removed the masking requirement.