Samaritan to Expand Visitation and Support Persons
Published on: April 25, 2021
Watertown, NY – Samaritan will expand limited hospital inpatient visitation and support persons starting Monday, April 26, 2021.
Samaritan is pleased to expand visitors and support persons, who are important to the care and recovery of our patients as our region’s COVID-19 infection rates continue to stabilize. However, some restrictions will apply to limit the number of people in our facilities on any given day, especially with limited waiting area spaces and the ability to social distance safely.
Major patient groups impacted by these new changes:
Obstetric Patients:
- Two (2) designated support persons per patient is allowed.
- Support persons may accompany the patient throughout labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum period, including recovery until discharge home.
- The support persons should be prepared to stay with the mother for long periods of time, assuring they have essential items such as clothing, medications, etc.
- Support persons may leave and return once a day.
- The Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children’s entrance on Sherman and Pratt Street will be used for exiting and returning.
- Support persons will be screened upon re-entry each time.
Pediatric Patients / Neonatal Intensive Care:
- Two (2) designated support persons may be designated and may be present together.
- Support persons may leave and return once a day.
- The Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children’s entrance on Sherman and Pratt Street will be used for exiting and returning.
- Support persons will be screened upon re-entry each time.
Surgical Services Patients:
- One (1) designated support person will be allowed for all surgical services patients.
- Patients will need enter through the Main Entrance of the hospital (on Washington St.) and park out front in designated spots or in the parking garage. Once arrived, please call 315-816-1664 to let our staff know the patient and the support person have arrived.
- Our patients and their support person will be guided by staff members on where to go from the waiting areas to certain areas within the surgical services department at specific times.
- Support persons must remain in a designated waiting area at all times. Please understand that not all support persons will be with the patient at all times.
- The patient’s surgery or procedure will determine when a support person will be with the patient, which may or may not be directly before or after their procedure. Staff will guide the support person based on the patient case.
- For Outpatient Patient Procedure Unit – the support person will be with the patient in the preoperative surgical area and remain there until discharge.
- For Main Operating Room – the support persons will remain in the designated waiting areas until the patient is in advanced recovery after the surgery and ready for discharge and then will remain with the patient until discharge.
- For pediatric patients – two (2) support persons are allowed however, only one support person will be able to be with the patient during pre- and post-operative care; the other support person must remain in the designated waiting area until discharge information is provided.
- If a surgical patient becomes an inpatient and must stay in the hospital, support persons must follow general inpatient visitation guidelines once the patient has been discharged from surgical care (see above).
- If a support person does not accompany the patient into the facility, they will be provided a cell number where they are welcome to call for general updates.
- When the patient is ready for discharge, the support person and patient will be provided the discharge instructions before leaving the facility.
- If a support person does not follow any of the guidance above or what is asked by them of any staff member they will be asked to leave to and wait in their vehicle for their loved one.
Patients undergoing outpatient procedures, lab, radiology, or rehabilitation:
- Individuals may bring one (1) support person with them to healthcare appointments when space allows.
Outpatient appointments at all Samaritan clinics:
- Individuals may bring one (1) support person with them to healthcare appointments when space allows.
Campus Map
General Visitation Guidelines
If any of these requirements are not met the visitor or support person will be asked to leave or not be allowed to stay.
- Visitors should refrain from coming to our facilities if they are ill.
- All visitors and support persons must be 18 years of age or older.
- Visitors and support persons will be provided with a face mask upon entry to the facility and must wear the mask properly at all times while inside the facility.
- If a person refuses to properly wear a face mask, they will be asked to leave the facility immediately.
- Visitors and support persons should self-screen for illness before arriving at Samaritan and before accessing patient care areas.
- If you have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days, please do not visit our facilities.
- Visitors and support persons must not be on quarantine or isolation for COVID 19 infection or exposure.
- All visitors and support persons are required to comply with our screening checkpoint procedures; asked screening questions and have their temperature taken upon arrival. If you are unable to comply, you will not be permitted in our facilities.
- Visitors and support persons must stay in the patient’s room, or designated waiting area identified by staff, unless otherwise directed by staff.
- Visitors and support persons cannot accompany patients to tests outside of their room.
- All visitors and support persons must practice social distancing, stay at least six (6) feet away from others, while in the facility.
- Visitors and support persons should wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.