Hospital Visitation Policy

VISITATION PROGRAM

As of 05/12/2023:

Finger Lakes Health is currently allowing visitation and support persons at all inpatient and outpatient settings.

Geneva General Hospital and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital 

Admitted Patients Visitation:

• Admitted patients may have visitors between 9 am and 7 pm daily.
  
  • Generally two (2) support people at a time are allowed in the facility.
  • Visitors may rotate as long as there are no more than two (2) at a time in the facility
  • Visitors taking turns/ rotating must switch outside of the hospital.
  • Must be over 12 years old, unless meets exception guidelines
• Persons over 70 years of age are discouraged from visiting for their own safety but are allowed to visit
• Must only come through front entrance
• Any visitor remaining after 7pm will be asked to leave/escorted out by security

Emergency Department

• Emergency Department patients may have two (2) support people at a time.
• Visitors taking turns must switch outside of the hospital.
• Must be over 12 years old, unless meets exception guidelines

Outpatient Procedure Support Person:

• One (1) support person may accompany a patient to outpatient appointments or procedures
• For procedures, the support person may remain with the patient through the initial intake process and may rejoin the patient for the discharge process. During the procedure, the support person may remain in the designated waiting area.
• For outpatient appointments, one support person may accompany the patient.

Finger Lakes Health Urgent Care Centers and Physician Practices

• One (1) support person may accompany a patient to Urgent Care or a Physician Practice

Visitation/ Support Person Exceptions:

The following may have two (2) support person at the bedside at a time. Additional visitors/support people may rotate in but must remain outside the facility

• Pediatric patients
• Patients with medically necessary support person (intellectual/ cognitive disability)
• Imminent end-of-life situations (less than 24 hours anticipated)

 All Visitors:

• Will be
  
  • Encouraged to wear masks.
  • Provided and must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on the patient diagnoses.
  • Signed in at the entrance to the facility

Finger Lakes Health reserves the right to limit visitation which would interfere with the care of the patient, the care of other patients, or when clinically appropriate.

Reasons for limiting visitation or restricting visitation includes, but is not limited to:

• Any court order limiting or restraining contact
• Behavior representing a direct risk or threat to the patient, staff, or others in the immediate environment
• Behavior disruptive of the functioning of the patient care unit
• Reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time
• Patient’s risk of infection by the visitor
• Visitor’s risk of infection by the patient
• Extraordinary protections because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak
• Substance abuse, suicide risk, or other treatment procedures requiring restricted visitation
• Patient’s need for privacy or rest
• Certain cases where the patient is undergoing care interventions

Any visitor may be asked to leave the facility at any time for any of the above listed reasons.

GRIEVANCE PROCESS

If the patient or their support person believes that their visitation rights have been violated, they may file a grievance with Finger Lakes Health through the Performance Improvement/ Risk Management Department.