Alice Hyde Temporarily Suspends All Non-Medical Hospital Visitation

Malone, NY (11/2/2020) – UVM Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center has suspended all non-medical hospital visitation, effective immediately, amid rising cases of COVID-19 in the community.

Alice Hyde continues to screen everyone who enters hospital facilities, including employees, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital’s updated visitation policy, effective Monday, Nov. 2, is as follows: Until further notice, no visitors will be allowed, with limited exceptions for individuals such as pediatric patients, Labor and Delivery patients, patients receiving end-of-life care, and patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Matt Jones, Alice Hyde’s Chief Operating Officer, said restricting visitation is an important step in limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 and protecting both patients and health care workers as cases of COVID-19 rise in the community.

“Protecting our patients, our employees and our hospital continues to be our top priority,” said Jones. “These temporary restrictions help protect our health care system so we’re able to care for our community, and protect those who might be at higher risk of becoming infected and severely ill because of underlying health conditions.”

Visitation restrictions are also in effect at The Alice Center, where visitation was suspended last week after positive COVID-19 tests were returned for residents and employees. As of Monday 7 residents and 6 employees had tested positive for COVID-19. Another 3 residents were exhibiting symptoms and had been diagnosed clinically positive despite returning negative test results. Susan Biondolillo, Alice Hyde’s AVP of Long-Term Care, said the facility was working closely with Franklin County Public Health officials to perform contact tracing and isolation precautions had been put in place for both the Skilled Nursing Facility and the Assisted Living Program. The precautions require residents to remain in their rooms; employees are required to wear full personal protective equipment while in the facility. COVID-positive residents have been placed on an isolation unit and are being cared for by specifically-designated employees.

“We’re working closely with public health officials and communicating directly with residents’ families and loved ones, to ensure they have the latest information on steps we are taking to limit the virus’ spread and protect our residents and employees,” said Biondolillo. “As we have since the beginning of this pandemic, we will continue to act with an abundance of caution to protect our residents and employees.”

###

About Alice Hyde Medical Center
Alice Hyde Medical Center is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in Malone, NY. Established in 1913, Alice Hyde Medical Center is comprised of a 76-bed acute care facility, four family health centers, a walk-in clinic, cancer center, orthopedic and physical rehabilitation center, cardiac rehabilitation unit, and a dental center. The medical center provides a 24-hour MD staffed emergency department, laboratory, a full array of surgical services, and a wide range of outpatient services. For over 100 years, Alice Hyde Medical Center has been providing high-quality, low-cost health care to the more than 55,000 residents of the North Country. In early 2015, Alice Hyde opened The Alice Center, a new, state of the art 135-bed skilled nursing facility with a 30-bed Assisted Living Program. The facility replaced two obsolete skilled care facilities located in Malone, and is the first such facility to be constructed in Franklin County. Alice Hyde Medical Center is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, and is accredited by the Joint Commission. Learn more at UVMHealth.org/AHMC

About The University of Vermont Health Network

The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:

• The University of Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network Home Health & Hospice

Our 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.