Shrine Driver Transportation Protocol – June 2020

The Board of Governors and Hospital Leadership at your local Shriners facility have determined essential patient vehicle transportation may commence if necessary, based upon your Temple’s availability of drivers and ability to adhere to CDC and state and local guidelines. We have identified the requirements that must be followed to safeguard the health of Shrine drivers, and our patients and families when transportation is provided.


Please note, Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) follows the most current public health CDC guidance and/or state and local guidance, whichever is stricter. In undertaking transportation of patients, you must do the same. Your local SHC facility is available should you have questions at any time regarding local public health guidance.

General Statements

1. Only SHC facility requests for transportation are to be accepted. If your Temple receives a request directly from a parent/guardian, please check with the SHC location before agreeing to provide a Shrine driver to take the patient for an appointment. This is to ensure compliance with established criteria for everyone’s safety. There may be other alternatives available for transportation.


2. The SHC location will review with the patient/guardian their role in a safe transport by the Shrine driver. Each SHC location will identify a contact person for your questions and any issues that may arise with regards to the patient transportation.


3. All patients and families will be given a list of screening questions (below) by SHC at the time their appointment is confirmed and when Shrine transportation is assigned. These questions are subject to change as recommended by CDC, state, and local boards of health. Patients and families will be asked these questions several times before and during the transportation process as well as upon arrival to Shriners Hospital for Children. The patients and families understand a positive answer to any question will trigger a secondary screening process by SHC and may result in the transportation and appointment being cancelled or rescheduled. This step is necessary for the health and safety of all involved in the transport.


4. Only one adult parent or guardian may accompany the patient in the van. No siblings will be allowed. Van transportation is for a single patient and parent/guardian for each trip regardless of length of the trip.

First Transportation Conversation

5. When the Shrine driver contacts the parent/guardian to arrange transportation, the driver will ask if they have received and understand the screening questions from SHC. The driver should then ask the parent/guardian the screening questions again. If the reply to all questions is NO for the patient, parent/guardian, the travel arrangements should proceed as planned. If the answer is YES to any question, let the parent/guardian know you will be contacting the SHC location for further directions. Please contact the SHC point of contact for further instructions.


6. The Shrine driver and his co-pilot or companion, should also confirm that they themselves have answered NO to all the screening questions. If the answer by the driver and/or companion is YES to any question, please contact your Temple and notify them to arrange another driver. If no other driver is available and the decision is made the Temple cannot provide a driver, please notify the SHC facility as quickly as possible so other options can be explored.

Day of Transport

7. The Shrine driver and his co-pilot or companion should answer the screening questions again regarding their own status. If the answer to any question is YES

  • Contact your Temple and the SHC location receiving the patient. The SHC contact will follow-up with the parent/guardian to identify if there are other alternatives and if not, the appointment will be rescheduled.
  • Please contact your own PCP as soon as possible and provide your screening results.

8. Prior to transporting, clean high touch surfaces in the vehicle with disposable disinfectant wipes containing at least 70% alcohol.

  • Store brand wipes such as Walgreens, CVS as well as hospital grade wipes such as Pharma-C-Wipes, Paragon 70% Alcohol Cleanser Solution, and Micro Care MCC-MLCWR Alcohol Disinfecting Wipes are effective as well.
  • Examples of surfaces to be cleaned include vinyl seats, door handles, seatbelts and buckles, steering wheel, gearshift, radio, air vents adjustments, sun visor, and car seats.
  • Soft and porous materials are generally not as easy to disinfect as hard and non-porous surfaces. Please consider purchasing vinyl seat coverings for ease of cleaning. However, if soft or porous seats are used, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists a limited number of products approved for disinfection for use on soft and porous materials. Please click here for the list.

9. When picking up the patient and parent/guardian ask if the screening questions are still negative. Ask the screening questions again. If the reply to all questions is NO, the ride should proceed as planned. If the answer is YES to any question, let the parent/guardian know you will be contacting the SHC location for further directions. Please contact the SHC point of contact for further instructions. If the point of contact is not available due to the time of day, request to speak to a nurse in charge.


10. Prior to entering the vehicle, all occupants, including driver and co-pilot or companion, must wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth and perform hand hygiene with either a liquid hand sanitizer or sanitizing hand wipe containing at least 70% alcohol. The mask must be worn during the entire duration of the trip. No mask – No transportation. Children under 2 years of age are not required to be masked.


11. During the ride, hand hygiene should be performed periodically and masks must remain in place. Airflow in the vehicle should be refreshed and not recycled for the comfort of the occupants.

While at SHC

12. Upon arrival, the patient and parent/guardian will be screened at the main entrance, instructed to perform hand hygiene, then directed to their appointment. Please note, some locations may request patients and guardians remain in their vehicle until the staff is ready to receive the patient to minimize patients and guardians in the lobby or patient care area. This information will be communicated in advance. We ask you to be flexible and patient with these precautions.


13. Shrine drivers and their co-pilot or companion will be screened at the main entrance, perform hand hygiene and instructed to wear a mask at all times while in the facility, then directed to the Drivers Lounge. Waiting in the lobby is not permitted to ensure social distancing and patient flow. We ask you not walk through the facility, respect social distancing and frequently conduct hand hygiene.


14. Prior to departing, drivers should once again clean high touch surfaces in the vehicle. SHC will provide disposable gloves and approved disinfectant disposable wipes if you do not have the supplies.

After Transport

15. After the patient and parent/guardian have reached their destination, please thoroughly clean seats and high touch surfaces in the vehicle.


16. Upon return home, the Shrine driver and his co-pilot or companion are advised to change clothes and shower before interacting with their families.


17. In the event SHC is notified of a COVID positive patient or accompanying parent/guardian you have transported, the Shrine driver and his co-pilot or companion will be notified directly in accordance with local and state public health contact tracing guidance.


18. In the event the Shrine driver and his co-pilot or companion test positive for COVID-19 the administrator of the SHC location is to be notified.

COVID-19 Screening Questions

1. In the past 14 days, have you or anyone in your household had

  • Fever of 100 F or 37.7  C
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Sore throat
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle pain
  • Loss of smell
  • Loss of taste

2. Has anyone in your household been in close contact with anyone that has been sick in the past 14 days?


3. In the past 14 days, have you or anyone in your household been diagnosed with COVID-19, or been exposed to someone diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19?