Niagara Falls Memorial to resume patient visitation
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center today announced it is allowing limited patient visitation in its acute care areas for first time since early December. The new visitation policy comes with a number of restrictions meant to keep patients and staff members safe.
The policy will be reviewed regularly and will remain in effect until further notice.
· Visiting hours on the medical/surgical units including Labor & Delivery and Surgery will be from 12 noon to 4 p.m. daily
· Visitation to the ICU will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
· Exceptions may be made in end-of-life or labor and delivery situations
· Visitation in the Emergency Department will be limited to one person, who must remain in the treatment room
· One individual per patient may accompany patients scheduled for gastrointestinal, interventional or cardiac catheterization procedures, and appointments or treatment at the Golisano Center for Community Health
· A caregiver may accompany each patient to the Golisano Medical Oncology Center
· Visitation on the behavioral health floors will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
· Only one visitor per patient at a time will be permitted in the building
· All visitors will be required to undergo a medical screening upon entering the medical center and sign in at the nurses station on the unit they visit
The following will not be permitted visitation privileges:
· Individuals who have an active diagnosis of COVID-19 or who are persons under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19
· Individuals wanting to visit a medical center patient who has an active diagnosis of COVID-19 or who is a person under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19
· Individuals who have been in contact with someone who is actively infected with COVID-19 or had contact with a person who is actively under investigation for COVID-19 within 10 days
· Individuals under quarantine for any other reason including out of state travel as defined by the most current New York State travel advisory
· Anyone who reports or exhibits shortness of breath, fever, cough or other potential COVID-19 symptoms. This is without exception.
· Individuals under age 14.
“We appreciate the therapeutic and emotional value of patients being able to have visits with their loved ones,” said Memorial President & CEO Joseph W. Ruffolo. “However, we also must undertake appropriate measures to keep our patients and staff members safe.”
Reviews of the new policy will be based on current data and include active oversight by Dr. Rajinder Bajwa, the medical director of Memorial’s Infectious Diseases Division
