*Updated January 3, 2023*

Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing home for the patients and caregivers staying at SECU Family House, be it a few nights or a few months, while they receive life-saving medical care at UNC Hospitals. 

To continue to ensure the health and safety of guests - as well as the health of the essential volunteers and staff who keep our doors open and lights on every day - we are following the expert guidance of the Orange County Health Department, as well as that of the Family House Medical Advisory Committee (MAC). Tom Shea, MD, Anthony Charles, MD and Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, specialist in Infectious Diseases comprise the MAC Committee, and have been closely involved in developing our COVID-19 prevention protocols.

Here are the measures that have been put in place in order to best protect the patients and caregivers we serve:

• Visitors, who are not registered guests, are not allowed in Family House.  Guests may meet with visitors on the porch.
• No children under the age of 18 are allowed to stay at Family House.
• Everyone must sanitize their hands upon entry and often when using common areas such as the kitchen, laundries, living rooms.
• All guests, staff and volunteers are urged to maintain social distancing of 6 feet or more.
• All guests, staff and volunteers are required to wear a mask.
• Common areas and high touch areas are cleaned often.
• Large kitchen and dining areas are available for guest use for eating and preparing food. All guests are to clean areas they have used with provided soap and disinfectant spray.  Volunteers from the Family House Meal program, are required to serve their donated meals wearing masks and gloves from behind plexiglass.

Should a guest, staff, or volunteer test positive for COVID-19 or be exposed to someone, they must immediately inform the house manager who will review the circumstances with the Medical Advisory Committee and take the actions proscribed by that committee and/or the Orange County Department of Health.*

Family House is immeasurably grateful to everyone whose expertise or support has helped us along this journey. Together, we're able to realize our mission, serving those who need the affordability, comfort, and stability of Family House during these unprecedented times.

* For more information about COVID-19 prevention protocols, testing, and tracing, see the CDC website.