Both Rochester Regional Health and UR Medicine hospitals have announced their new visitation policies, which will go into effect Thursday, June 25. 

The limited-visitation policy will be adopted by the five RRH hospitals: Rochester General Hospital, Unity Hospital, Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, and United Memorial Medical Center (Batavia).

The policy applies to acute care hospitals only. No visitors are still allowed in long-term care facilities, with the exception of end-of-life situations. 

Rochester Regional Health (Rochester General Hospital, Unity Hospital, Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, and United Memorial Medical Center) Visitor Policy:

• Patients may designate two visitors throughout their stay.
• Only one visitor is allowed at a time, for no longer than four hours daily.
• Visiting hours for all RRH hospitals are 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. daily.

 No visitors will be permitted for:

• ED patients.
• COVID-19 positive patients.
• Suspected COVID-19 positive patients.
• Cancer infusion centers.
• Inpatient behavioral health.

 *The exception to the above list of prohibited visitors include:

• Pediatric patients may have one designated guardian on-site at a time.
• End-of-life and obstetrical patients may have one on-site visitor at a time.
• Obstetrical patients may have one on-site visitor at a time.
• Patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disabilities. 
• There are no restrictions on the hours of visitation for this list of visitors.
• Visitors must be older than 18 years of age.
• Visitors must be screened upon entering the facility; they will be denied entry if they report significant COVID-19 exposure or symptoms during the prior 14 days or have a temperature over 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Visitors will be registered in an electronic system within the EMR (Care Connect) upon entry for each visit. The registration log will include the name and contact information of the visitor, the date(s) of their visits, and the name of the patient(s) visited.
• Patients undergoing same-day procedures may be accompanied to the facility by a companion, but may not stay during the procedure.
• A companion may drop them off and pick them up outside the facility.
• They may not be with the patient inside the facility.
• Visitors may not be present during procedures and in the recovery room except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability.
• Visitors will be instructed to 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.
• Within areas of our facilities that do not allow us to accommodate social distancing, we reserve the right to refuse visitors for their safety and the safety of our patients and staff.
• Visitors must be wearing their mask or cloth face-covering upon arrival to the facility. If the visitor does not arrive with a mask or cloth face-covering, the hospital will provide the visitor with a mask. The visitor will be instructed to keep their mask or cloth face-covering on at all times.
• Visitors will be instructed to comply with strict hand hygiene and personal protective equipment practices.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Visitors will be provided written information regarding the potential risks and benefits of visiting a patient within the hospital as well the expectations regarding their visitation which includes: the hours of visitation, remaining in the patient room during the entire visit unless otherwise instructed, wearing their mask or cloth face-covering during their entire visit and instructions regarding meticulous hand hygiene. Visitors who fail to comply with the outlined expectations will be asked to leave the facility.

For UR Medicine hospitals, visiting policies and hours vary among each hospital and will be posted on each hospital’s website as visitation begins. Patients and visitors also will receive detailed information on visiting guidelines and safety procedures at the hospital.

For Strong Memorial Hospital:

• Hospital inpatients who do not have COVID-19 can have a total of two designated visitors age 18 or older throughout their stay. Patients designate their visitors upon admission
• Only one of these two can visit per day, for no more than four consecutive hours
• Visitors will receive COVID-19 screening and temperature checks upon arrival. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms will not be allowed to visit.
• Visitors will receive surgical masks to wear during their visit, and instructed on hand hygiene protocols to protect their safety as well as patients’ and caregivers’.
• Visiting hours are between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• Visitors are not allowed in the Emergency Department; support people must wait in their vehicles or offsite while ED patients are being evaluated
• Exceptions will be made for obstetric, pediatric, cognitively impaired and cancer patients, as well as for patients at end of life.

For Noyes Memorial Hospital:

• Visitors, 18 years of age and older only, will enter Noyes Memorial Hospital through the doors on the south side of the building, next to the Saunders Surgical Center. 
• Visiting hours will be 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day, and are subject to change. 
• Each inpatient is allowed one visitor per day during these hours, who must stay in the patient room throughout the visit. Once the visitor leaves, he or she will not be allowed to re-enter the building that day.  
• Exceptions will be made for patients at end of life, or for those patients who are unable to communicate on their own due to cognitive or other disability. 
• Upon entry into the hospital, visitors will be given a mask to be worn throughout the visit, instructed on how to wear it properly, and educated on hand cleaning. They will be screened at the door for COVID exposure and symptoms. 
• Noyes staff also will ask visitors to provide identification and contact information, and will be given a Visitor Badge prior to heading to the patient’s room. 
• Staff will enforce masking, as well as distancing in the elevator and hallways. 
• Visitation directives for obstetric patients will continue to be just one support person per patient during the length of the stay; however, that person will be able to leave the hospital and return during the stay. 
• No visitors will be allowed in the Emergency Department, in the Ambulatory Surgery areas, or for patients who are COVID-positive or suspected to be COVID-positive

For Thompson Health:

• F.F. Thompson Hospital will allow limited visitation of patients between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day, beginning Thursday, June 25.
• The hospital will allow one visitor per day at the bedside of hospitalized patients. 
• This one visitor must be 18 or older. 
• He or she will have their temperature taken in the lobby, must answer a number of questions regarding symptoms and must wear a mask. The hospital will permit this one visitor to stay for up to four consecutive hours. 
• A second visitor may be identified to follow these same guidelines, but cannot visit the patient on the same day.
• OB patients may only have one visitor at their bedside at a time. A second visitor may be identified, but cannot visit on the same day.
• Patients who have COVID, or patients who have symptoms of COVID and are awaiting test results, may not have visitors. 
• In addition, no visitors will be allowed in the Emergency Department or other outpatient areas within the hospital, in urgent care centers, or in doctors’ offices. 
• The only exceptions to this will involve pediatric patients, patients who need an advocate due to cognitive impairment, and situations in which end of life is imminent.
• Visitation is still not permitted in Thompson’s nursing home nor in its enriched living facility.

For more on UR Medicine hospitals and their visitation polices, click here.