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URGENT UPDATE: Temporary Suspension of Visitation

October 28, 2021
COVID-19

Effective October 28, 2021

UHS Hospitals remain committed to ensuring the best care for our patients, while ensuring staff, patient and visitor safety during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19.

Effective immediately, all visitation is suspended except as outlined below (see Visitor Restriction Exceptions).  These restrictions are in place for all areas of UHS Wilson Medical Center, UHS Binghamton General Hospital and all UHS Primary & Specialty Care locations.

Designated Entrances

All visitors and support persons will be required to enter through the following entrances:   

UHS Wilson Medical Center

  • Baldwin Street Entrance – 7 days per week; 5am to 9pm
  • Emergency Department – 24 Hours

UHS Binghamton General Hospital

  • Mitchell Avenue Entrance – 7 days per week; 5am to 9pm
  • Park Avenue Entrance (Dialysis) – Monday through Friday; 5am – 6pm
  • Emergency Department -24 Hours

UHS Primary, Specialty Care and Walk-In Locations

  • Primary Main Entrance for the location

Screening of Visitors and Support Persons

All visitors will be screened by Visitor Management or reception staff.  This will include questioning regarding;

  • Presence of fever, cough, shortness of breath
  • Close contact with anyone who has been laboratory-confirmed as positive for COVID-19

Visitors who answer “yes” to the above questions or who show obvious symptoms will not be permitted to visit. In the event the visitor insists on visiting, the Office Supervisor, Nursing Supervisor and/or Director of Nursing will be contacted and consulted.

Inpatient Areas

  • All visitors or support persons will be screened by Visitor Management (e.g. fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or diarrhea).  
  • Visitors or support persons will only be permitted if they are asymptomatic.
  • Individuals under the age of 18 will not be permitted visitation.
  • Individuals age 70 years or older, are not encouraged to be support persons at this time due to increased risk of COVID – 19 infection.

Visitor / Support Person Expectations 

  • All visitors and support persons entering the facility will be required to wear a mask (surgical or cloth) at all times.
  • Visitors and support persons will remain in the patient’s room whenever possible, except when entering or exiting the facility.
  • Once a patient has designated their visitor(s) or support person(s), these decisions may not be changed.
  • If a patient is unable to designate their own visitor(s) or support person(s), the decision may be made by the patient’s healthcare proxy.
  • Visitors will be encouraged to practice appropriate hand hygiene and social distancing.
  • Where applicable, visitors will follow Nursing staff direction regarding required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and donning/doffing procedures.
  • UHS reserves the right to ask any visitor to leave property in the event that they are displaying symptoms or otherwise interfering with clinical care.

Visitor Restriction Exceptions

Imminent End of Life Situations

  • NYSDOH defines end-of-life as a patient who is actively dying, where death is anticipated within less than 24 hours.
  • Two supports persons may be designated to remain with patients in imminent end-of-life situations.
  • In the event that the patient is a parent of a minor child, one adult and one child may be permitted at the patient’s bedside.

Primary & Specialty Care and Ancillary Services such as Laboratory, Radiology, Vascular, & Cardiopulmonary

  • Visitors are strongly discouraged from accompanying patients in practice locations with the exception of one support person when necessary.

Outpatient & Inpatient Surgical Procedures

  • Patients undergoing same day procedures may be accompanied to the facility by a companion and that companion may remain in the hospital designated waiting area until the patient is discharged.

Emergency Department

  • No visitors or support persons are permitted, except in special or end of life situations as determined by the Charge RN.
  • Patients for whom support persons have been determined to be essential (medically necessary), including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments including dementia.
  • For Pediatric patients, one support person at a time is considered essential to patient care.

Perinatal Center

  • Support person will be allowed for visitation

Labor & Delivery/Maternity

  • Two support persons may be designated by the patient with the appropriate Security banding.
  • The support persons can be the patient’s spouse, partner, sibling, doula, or another person of their choosing.
  • The support persons may remain with the patient in all areas, at all times.
  • The support persons will be the only individuals allowed to be present during the patients care and will accompany them through labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period, including recovery.
  • Support persons will be encouraged to remain with the patient and not leave the facility.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

  • Mom is permitted to visit and will be banded.   Mom may designate either the father or significant other, which will be banded as well.  
  • Visitors may not visit together, at the same time.  They must visit one at a time.
  • Each visitor may visit only once per day after the mother has been discharged from the facility.
  • While the mother is a patient within the facility, visitation may occur more than once per day.
  • Once a visitor leaves the unit, they will not be permitted to return until the following day.
  • Visitors will not be permitted to visit during Medical Staff Rounds.

Inpatient Pediatrics

  • Two individuals may be designated as visitors and may be present at all times.

Patients for whom support persons have been determined to be essential (medically necessary), including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and patients with cognitive impairments including dementia.

  • Patients with intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and patients with cognitive impairment such as dementia may designate one support person to remain with them through their hospitalization.

Discharge of Patients

  • One individual may pick-up discharged patients at the designated Main Entrance.

Any questions or concerns regarding visitation at UHS facilities may be directed to the UHS COVID-19 COMMAND CENTER.  The UHS COVID-19 Command Center is operational from 8am to 5pm, 7days per week.  The Command Center can be reached at 763.5012 (x35012).

For information regarding visitation at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, click here.

For information regarding visitation at UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, click here.