UVM Medical Center Welcoming Policy – Effective December 5, 2022
We know how vital families and support people are to our patients while they are healing. In order to keep out vulnerable patient populations safe, we strongly encourage vaccination among all visitors entering our facilities.
No pets for emotional support animals are permitted in our facilities.
VISITOR Expectations:
- Masks are expected to be worn at all times when in our building by everyone over 2, this includes visitors who are sleeping while staying overnight.
- Children under 2 or those who cannot mask consistently should not visit someone hospitalized with a respiratory illness and are discouraged from visiting patients in the hospital during times of high transmission of respiratory illness.
- Visitors entering our facilities must be free of symptoms of respiratory illness. If you have any symptoms of cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. Caregivers of pediatric patients requiring inpatient, urgent, or emergency care and the support people of laboring patients are not held to these expectations.
- Visitors of COVID-19 positive and PUI patients:
- 2 consistent visitors throughout the hospital stay.
- Visitors may not stay overnight. Exception: one visitor may stay overnight for pediatric patients and the support people of patients on the Labor and Delivery and Mother Baby units.
- Visitors are expected to wear a properly fitting hospital procedure mask and use of proper hand hygiene. We also highly recommend eye protection, gown, and gloves. (Staff will assist you in getting into proper PPE)
- Visitors are expected to stay in the patient room for the entirety of the visit and not enter any cafeterias or waiting rooms.
- Visitors assume the risk of contracting COVID-19 when visiting a COVID-19 positive patient. We highly encourage vaccination as the best way to reduce risk of severe disease.
Visitors of COVID-19 positive patients should review this Partnering Agreement before visiting.
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Inpatient: Adult |
2 support people 1 support person may remain overnight as space allows (except inpatient Psychiatry) |
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Inpatient Pediatrics: Baird 5, PICU, Mother-Baby |
2 support people at a time 1 adult may remain overnight |
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Inpatient: End of Life Care |
Family presence at the end of life will be managed by the care team. In general, 4 family members at a time are welcomed for patients in end-of-life care. |
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Inpatient: Labor & Delivery |
2 support people at a time. |
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Inpatient: NICU |
Birthing parent plus 1 support person |
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Emergency Department |
2 support people |
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Urgent Care: Adult |
1 support person |
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Urgent Care: Pediatric |
2 support people |
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Surgical/Procedural |
2 support people |
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Outpatient: Adult |
1-2 support people as space allows Cancer Center & Shep 4 IV drug administration: 1 support person |
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Outpatient: Pediatric |
2 support people |