Nuvance Health – Sharon Hospital updates visitation policy
Sharon Hospital welcomes back more visitors
Sharon, Conn. — June 23, 2020 — Sharon Hospital, part of Nuvance Health, has updated its visitation policy to bring back more visitors. The hospital can expand visitation following safety guidelines because the campus and the region are observing a decrease in the rate of new COVID-19 infections.
“Restrictions will be lifted in a phased approach over the next several weeks to ensure high levels of safety and security for staff, patients and the community,” said hospital president Dr. Mark Hirko.
Allowable visitors:
Effective Wednesday, June 24, the hospital will begin the first phase of visitation: One visitor per surgical patient is permitted in the outpatient surgical and procedural areas of the hospital at time of discharge.
People age 18 and older are allowed to visit if they meet specific requirements.
Requirements for approved visitation include:
- A visitor may drop off a patient at the hospital but must wait outdoors for the duration of their procedure.
- A single visitor per patient is allowed inside the facility only upon discharge to receive post-care instructions from their physician. This applies to the operating room, ambulatory care unit and interventional radiology.
- Visitors must arrive wearing a medical face mask. Masks with a valve, or a bandana, scarf, or any other type of face covering are not permitted.
- Visitors must pass screening for COVID-19 risk factors.
- Visitors need to show a government-issued photo ID (examples: driver’s license, passport) to check-in. Their visit will be recorded for contact tracing purposes if necessary.
- The duration of a daily visit is limited to two hours.
Exceptions apply for patients under age 21, maternity patients, and for those with extenuating circumstances.
Entrance and Visitation Hours
Monday through Friday, the Main Lobby is open from 5:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Patients can enter the hospital through the emergency department after 4:30 p.m.
Visitation hours are 5:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visiting times for outpatient surgical and procedural areas may vary based on procedure scheduling.
No Visitation:
Sharon Hospital’s top priority is the health and safety of all patients, staff and visitors. That’s why no visitors are permitted for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who are receiving high flow oxygen, are on Bi-PAP or CPAP, or are unable to tolerate wearing a mask. No visitors are allowed for non-medical purposes such as going to the cafeteria.
“Over the next few weeks, we will be phasing in visitation to inpatient care areas and the emergency department,” Hirko said.
Nuvance Health will continue to reevaluate the visitation policy as conditions evolve. Please visit nuvancehealth.org/coronavirus for the latest updates about COVID-19, or find Sharon Hospital on social media @SharonHospital.
CONTACT
Marina Ballantine, Associate, Public and Community Affairs
(845) 554-1734 | Marina.Ballantine@nuvancehealth.org