General Visitation Guidelines

Effective August 9, 2023

We thank you for making the time to visit your loved ones at NewYork-Presbyterian. The health and safety of our patients, visitors, support persons, employees, and community remain our top priority. Therefore, in line with the latest guidelines issued by the New York State Department of Health, we have revised our visitation policy. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

For Patients and Visitors

• Visitors to our adult patient areas (other than Obstetrics) must be 12 years old or older, except in special circumstances or in specific areas as defined below.* Please see details in the respective sections about age requirements for pediatric, neonatal ICU, antepartum, labor, delivery, and post-partum patients. Adults must supervise their children at all times.
• Visitors should perform hand hygiene upon arrival.
• Masks are no longer required for visitors in common areas and many patient care areas of the hospital.
• Masks will continue to be required in certain areas, and you will see signs in these locations asking you to wear a mask. These areas include:
  • Certain Outpatient/Ambulatory physician practices and care centers, including Hematology/Oncology, Transplant, and Infusion
  • Emergency Department
  • Many inpatient areas, including all ICUs, Hematology/Oncology Units, Transplant Units
  • Other designated areas in which the patient may be immunocompromised or have viral respiratory symptoms
• Please seek guidance at the nursing stations, reception areas, or the information desk if you have any questions about mask requirements.
• Visitors and support persons may choose to wear masks in areas where they are not required based on their personal preference.
• Visitors with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, diarrhea or vomiting should not visit until they are well and no longer have symptoms.
• Visitors recently diagnosed with COVID-19 should not visit until 10 days have passed since their COVID-19 diagnosis, in accordance with CDC recommendations for healthcare settings.
• Visitors who had a recent close contact with someone with COVID-19 and who cannot tolerate continuously wearing a mask, should not visit until 10 days have passed since their last contact, in accordance with CDC recommendations for healthcare settings.
• Visitors should display their hospital-issued security pass at all times while visiting.
• Visitors may take advantage of Hospital cafeterias, eateries, or designated waiting areas if the areas are open and physical distancing permits.
• We encourage visitors to remain closely connected to their loved ones through virtual means, including Skype, FaceTime, and/or phone. Staff will assist patients if needed and/or provide a hospital-approved device in order to do so.
• Temporary visitation exceptions may be granted in all settings of the Hospital for patients in extenuating circumstances, such as imminent end-of-life, hospice care and/or a specific patient needing extra support. For example, specific patients needing extra support include those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities or other cognitive impairments.

Inpatient Locations

• To promote patient care, comfort, safety and a restful environment, visitors are welcomed between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily. Two visitors at a time are permitted at the bedside with each adult patient. Adult visitors must supervise visiting children at all times. On pediatric units, parents and/or guardians are excluded from this general visitation hour policy.
• At the request of the adult patient, one overnight visitor is permitted to stay in a private room between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. This may be the patient’s designated support person or an alternative that the patient requests. In semi-private rooms, in order to maintain patient privacy and a restful environment, an overnight support person may stay in the unit’s visitor lounge. At the discretion of the primary nurse/Patient Care Director, the support person may be allowed at the bedside throughout the night.
• In the pediatric units, each pediatric patient may be visited by parents, guardians, family care partners or other support persons, or other family members.
• Two visitors at a time are permitted at the bedside in the pediatric units and NICU. Siblings count as one of the two visitors.
• Visitors under the age of 18* are permitted on pediatric units. In the NICU visitors must be age 12 or older*.
• Visitors under the age of 18* must be supervised by an adult at all times and reliably wear a mask if required.
• Visitation may be limited at times in order to maintain adequate physical distancing or to effect other appropriate infection control measures.

Obstetrics

• Up to three support persons/visitors at a time are allowed, space permitting, to be with obstetric patients during antepartum, labor, delivery, and postpartum care.
• Visitation may be limited at times, prior to triage or while the patient is on the antepartum, labor, delivery, and postpartum units, to maintain adequate physical distancing and other appropriate safety precautions.
• In Labor & Delivery, only adult visitors are permitted. In antepartum and postpartum care units, visitors may be under the age of 18*.
• Visitors under the age of 18* must be supervised by an adult at all times and reliably wear a mask if required.
• Visitors under the age of 18* serve as one of the visitors permitted under these guidelines.

Behavioral Health

• Visitation hours for adult patients are 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Two adult visitors are permitted during this period and may visit at the same time. We ask that visitors remain at the bedside throughout the visit unless directed by the care team.
• For pediatric behavioral health patients at NYP-WBHC, general visitation hours are 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily, with two visitors permitted at a time. Exceptions may be applied based on the clinical team’s judgement.

Emergency Departments (ED)

• One visitor is permitted per adult patient while they are in the ED. General visitation times in the Comprehensive Psychiatry Emergency Program (CPEP) may vary. Please check with the local CPEP for details.
• Two support persons are allowed per pediatric patient in the pediatric ED – parents or caregivers only.
• Visitation may also be limited when ED census does not allow for adequate physical distancing and appropriate COVID safety precautions to be followed. Please speak with the patient’s clinical team if the patient requires additional assistance.

Ambulatory Procedures or Ambulatory Surgery

• One visitor for adult patients, starting at patient arrival through the intake process and pre-op course until the patient is ready to go to the procedure space, and then the visitor may rejoin in the ambulatory recovery area to be with the patient during their recovery as directed by the local department leaders and if physical distancing and space permits.
• Visitors may wait in the designated waiting area.
• Pediatric patients may be accompanied by two adult caregivers.
• Hospital staff will remain in close contact with the visitor throughout this time.

Other Outpatient Locations and Physician Practices

• One support person will be permitted to accompany adult patients to their appointment.
• Pediatric patients may be accompanied by two adult caregivers.
• Note: if the patient prefers to have their support person only participate virtually, we support that option. During the appointment, patients may keep in contact with a loved one through virtual means, including Skype, FaceTime, and/or phone. Staff will assist patients if needed.

* Please note the age requirements for visitation in various areas of the Hospital.

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