YORK, Pa. — WellSpan Health on Friday announced that all visitation at York Hospital -- with certain clinical exceptions -- has been prohibited due to rising rates of sustained community transmission rates of COVID-19 in York County.
The change is part of updates to the healthcare system's visitation policy at all inpatient, outpatient, and emergency room facilities.
In addition to not allowing visitation at York Hospital, WellSpan is also:
- Suspending all volunteer activities
- Allowing on-site visits only from approved and screened third-party vendors
- Restricting deliveries of food and flowers only if they can be left with staff at main entrances outside the hospital entry Monday- Friday 8-4pm (Staff ordering food delivery must prepare to pick up from delivery at exterior entrance, not in hospital lobby.)
Exceptions to the no visitation policy at York Hospital are:
- Obstetrical patients may have one birth support person accompanying them throughout their admission and care. This person must be 18 years of age or older (unless they are the parent of the baby) and in good health.
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Patients' parents or guardians are allowed, but must screen negative for COVID-19. The visitor will be provided the appropriate PPE for the visit. Only one of the two identified parents or guardians will be allowed in the unit at a time.
- For outpatients undergoing surgery, outpatient testing, or other hospital outpatient procedures, one person may accompany the patient to the hospital screening location and must wait in their vehicle or leave the hospital campus while the procedure/surgery/test is being completed. If the patient is under the age of 18 or if the patient is mentally challenged a parent/guardian is permitted.
- Visitors are prohibited in the Emergency Department (ED) patient areas. One person may accompany a patient to the entrance of the ED screening location and must either wait in their vehicle or leave the hospital campus until the patient is discharged. If the patient is under the age of 18 or if the patient is mentally incapacitated a parent or guardian is permitted.
- All end of life patients regardless of COVID-19 status who are admitted to any health care unit may have only one of two visitors allowed into the unit at a given time.
All patients, support persons and approved visitors over the age of two coming into York Hospital must have a face covering (e.g. mask) regardless of COVID-19 status. Each person entering the facility is encouraged to bring their own mask.
In accordance with Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health order dated June 9, 2020, exceptions will be made only for patients for whom masking would create a further health risk.
When entering a WellSpan Health facility, patients and support persons are required to complete a health screening, which includes answering questions about their health related to COVID-19. Any support person who screens positive may not enter with the patient.
If the patient screens positive, the patient will be directed to contact their PCP for guidance and care. Anyone with serious symptoms will be directed to the nearest Emergency Department.
To see the visitation policy changes at other WellSpan Health facilities, go here.
