Starting Monday, June 29, Niagara Health is pleased to welcome visitors back to all its sites, subject to certain conditions. This is being done in a gradual way to help ensure the safety of everyone at the hospital.
To begin, there will be two visiting blocks where inpatients (patients admitted to the hospital) may have one loved one visit them. These blocks are:
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and
- 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“We understand the important role that loved ones have in supporting our patients and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to our sites,” says Derek McNally, Executive Vice-President, Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive. “The health and safety of our patients, staff and physicians continues to be our top priority. We would like to thank the community for their understanding and ask for their patience with our team members during the first days of allowing visitors as we work through this process.”
To maintain a safe patient care environment, visitors must:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Pass screening in order to gain entry. There will be signage to indicate where visitors are screened.
- Bring their own mask and wear it at all times while in the hospital.
- Follow infection prevention and control measures, including meticulous hand hygiene and physical distancing throughout their stay.
- Limit their movement while in the hospital, staying in the patient’s room for the duration of the visit.
- Visitors may bring food to their loved ones while at the hospital; however, all food must be eaten in patient rooms only and visitors must take any leftover food with them when they leave.
The number of entrances to the hospital have been reduced. All visitors are asked to enter through the main entrance of each site, with the exception being visitors at the Port Colborne and Douglas Memorial sites using the Urgent Care Centre entrance.
Patients coming for clinic visits and other outpatient services are still asked to come alone. This includes Diagnostic Imaging (eg. X-rays, CT scans, etc.), the Walker Family Cancer Centre and Dialysis Units, as well as Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centres. There are team members available to assist patients to and from these areas. Patients with extenuating circumstances are encouraged to contact their care provider directly to discuss their needs. Anyone accompanying a patient to an appointment must be preapproved, at least 18 years old and pass screening.
Limited exceptions for additional visitors, or extended visiting time, will be made on a case-by-case basis. This includes:
- Compassionate reasons.
- Specific areas such as Women’s & Babies’, as well as the Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care units.
- Other exceptions as determined by the care team.
