UVM Medical Center Adjusts Welcoming Policy to Allow Limited Visitors
Temporary Measures to Limit the Spread of COVID-19 Were Enacted in March
Burlington – Following guidance from the State of Vermont, the University of Vermont Medical Center is scaling back some limitations on visitors to the hospital. The UVM Medical Center and all other hospitals in the state began restricting visitation in March to slow the spread of COVID-19. To protect patients, visitors and staff, all visitors will be screened and required to follow safety measures.
“Family members and support people are an important part of the care team for every patient, and we understand it has been difficult for many patients and families to limit visitation over the past few months,” said UVM Medical Center President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Leffler, MD. “I want to thank our patients and families for helping slow the spread of COVID-19, and thank our staff for working hard to keep everyone connected. I’m proud of our region for getting us to a place where we can take this step and gradually allow visitors back in.”
Effective today, guidelines as part of the new policy include:
- For inpatient and procedural areas, patients are permitted one consistent family member/support person. A consistent support person is recommended but an alternate may be identified by the patient if necessary.
- For pediatric patients, one parent or support person is recommended, but both parents may be permitted when necessary and appropriate based on unique care needs and circumstances as determined by the care team.
- Patients arriving in the Emergency Department or Urgent Care may also be accompanied by one consistent family member/support person.
Because not all areas allow for visitors to safely distance, patients and family should check with their specific departments to understand the updated policy. For example, there are no changes to the policy in the outpatient setting, where family and friends are not permitted to accompany patients into their doctor’s office unless the patient requires support and assistance to access their appointments. Visitation at Fanny Allen and inpatient rehab remains limited as well. Where visitation is still not possible, the patient’s care team will continue to coordinate with families.
As with all policies related to COVID-19, the UVM Medical Center will continue to review and adjust the welcoming policy to ensure the safest environment for patients, families and staff, and may revert to more restrictive policies as needed dependent on the status of the pandemic in our region.
About the University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 499-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, an integrated system established to deliver high quality academic medicine to every community we serve.
For more information visit www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenter or visit our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia.
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