AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — It was announced Monday that St. Mary’s Healthcare will resume in- person visitation as a result of overall declining confirmed cases of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations in the area. This change is in accordance with the most recent New York State Department of Health (DOH) guidelines.
According to St. Mary’s, visitors will be allowed from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day for the Guy Park Hospital location, inpatient only, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday for the Acute Rehabilitation Unit on the Memorial Campus.
This also includes the Emergency Department where one person will be allowed to be with a patient. St. Mary’s is continuing to follow CDC and NYS DOH guidance in order to keep everyone safe.
The updated process for limited visitation includes:
- Visitors are limited to ONE person at a time.
- Visits are limited to no more than four hours per day per patient
- All visitors must be greater than 18 years of age.
- Visitors must undergo symptom and temperature checks upon entering the facility, and shall be denied entry if they report significant COVID-19 exposure or symptoms during the prior 14 days or have a temperature equal to or greater than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Patients undergoing same day procedures may be accompanied to the facility by a companion and that companion may remain with the patient through the initial intake process; and may rejoin the patient for the discharge process. Visitors that wish to remain in the facility will be required to wait in the registration area on the 2nd floor until they can rejoin the patient.
- Visitors may not be present during procedures and recovery room except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability.
- Visitors are strongly encouraged to arrive wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Visitors will be advised how to perform meticulous hand hygiene and how to wear the PPE, and must adhere to such procedures.
- Visitors who fail to wear a face mask and other PPE will be asked to leave the facility.
- Visitors must remain in the patient’s room throughout the visit except when directed by hospital staff to leave during aerosol-generating procedures or other procedures during which visitors are usually asked to leave.
St. Mary’s says the visitation guidelines may change based on COVID-19 data in the region, the amount of support personnel to help with screening, and/or the amount of PPE on hand. Exceptions may be made to the policy when medically necessary such as when a visitor is essential to the care of a patient or family members or legal representatives of patients who are dealing with imminent end-of-life situations.
