Featured Article

COVID-19 Update: Visitor Guidelines (effective Dec. 9, 2022)

Friday, December 9, 2022

Note: The content on this page was last reviewed and updated on Dec. 9, 2022, reflecting the most recent policy changes. This page is updated as needed as policies and procedures change.

---

At Ellis, we strive to do everything possible to ensure our patients get better quickly and safely. We ask that our visitors honor these guidelines when visiting a loved one or friend. These guidelines are revised in response to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community.

A summary of our updated visitor policies may be found here

At Ellis Hospital Medical-Surgical inpatient units and Intensive Care Units (ICU), 2 visitors per patient are permitted at a time with no daily limit, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., 7 days a week. Patients who are scheduled to be discharged prior to noon may have a visitor starting at 9 a.m. on discharge day to assist with discharge planning or transportation.

Latest changes only impact Ellis Hospital Medical-Surgical inpatient units and the ICU. There are no changes for all other areas. See below for more information.   

At Bellevue Woman’s Center, patients are allowed to have two support persons throughout the patient’s stay. The support persons can be the patient’s spouse, partner, sibling, parent, or other persons of their choice, including a doula. As a precaution against the spread of COVID in the community, no visitors will be allowed other than the two support persons.

Patients of Emergent Care services will be permitted two visitors at a time. 

Patients in the Emergency Department waiting room may be allowed one visitor at a time; once patient is in an ED exam room, 2 visitors will be allowed at a time.  

Patients with compassionate care exemptions such as comfort care, hospice, end-of-life, may have two visitors/support persons at a time, while immediate end-of-life exemptions may continue to have up to five visitors per patient at a time, for a limited time. 

COVID patients will continue to be permitted to have one visitor.

Visitors age of 12 or older may be allowed to visit. 

There are compassionate care exceptions for certain patients which include:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients may have one birth parent plus one significant other who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.
• Pediatric patients/minors under age 18 may have two designated support persons with them, which includes the Emergency Department, inpatient and outpatient settings. 
• Behavioral Health areas of Ellis Hospital (Units C2, C3, B3) will allow two visitors per patient between the hours of 6 pm and 8 pm.
• Patients with disruptive behavior, in which a family member is key to their care, may have one visitor.
• Patients who have altered mental status or developmental delays (where caregiver provides safety) may have two visitors. Staff members from group homes are considered an extension of the healthcare team and not a visitor; their presence may fulfill the role of meeting the patient's extended care needs.
• Patients who need a caretaker to be trained for a skill in preparation of home care will be permitted a visitor for a limited education session only.
• Patients who have an outpatient/office appointment at any Ellis Medicine facility which include outpatient offices, radiation therapy, wound care, infusion, laboratory, or radiology, may have two persons with them. Any patient who is accompanied by a child, of which the patient is the only parent/guardian, the child will be allowed entry with the parent. 
  • Persons with a stated or observed disability, including but not limited to physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, and/or intellectual impairment or mental illness are permitted two visitors to assist them during their visit at all times.
• Procedural patients will be allowed 1 visitor pre- and post-surgery for a brief time until the physician meets with the patient and visitor. 
• Pediatric/adolescent surgical patients may have up to two parents present for the same timeframes mentioned.
• End-of-life (Comfort Care/Hospice patients) will be allowed to have two support persons at a time to visit on non-COVID floors.

NO visitor will be allowed entry to visit a patient who has any pending or positive pandemic illness and no visitors under the age of 12 will be permitted entry to the facility.

All other restrictions will remain unchanged during all other hours, including restrictions and compassionate exceptions for end-of-life, and COVID patients.

Ellis Medicine's visitation policies are consistent with other hospitals in the Capital Region.
 
Please note that this update does not apply to the Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center (ERRC).

---

Screening and Masking

All visitors, contractors, outpatients and vendors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a surgical mask when in our facilities. Masks may be removed briefly to eat/drink while maintaining social distancing. Cloth masks are not permitted at this time. Those who come to our facilities with cloth masks will be provided with a surgical mask if they do not have one.

All non-employees, visitors, outpatients, contractor and vendors, regardless of vaccination status, must screen in daily with their temperature check and answer the COVID symptom questions. Screening will continue at Ellis Hospital, Bellevue Woman's Center and the McClellan Street Campus.

---

Click here to view our process on drop offs for patient belongings and how to speak with your loved ones care provider.

Chaplains and clergy members may visit at any time upon a patient’s request. Chaplains and clergy members are not considered visitors and are considered support persons for the patient’s care. 

All non-employed healthcare workers providing a service to Ellis Medicine will be screened upon entry to the facility.

Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center is currently offering visitation. All visitors will be screened in the main lobby at the McClellan Street campus.

---

Additionally, we continue to limit the number of entrances at our facilities.  Please use the following entrances to access the facility. 

---

For more information and to access the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 (novel coronvirus):

CDC Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

General Public Hot Line - 1.888.364.3065

Ellis Medicine | Newsroom

Ellis Medicine Media Inquiries

Media inquiries should be directed to the Communications Department at Ellis Medicine. The Communications Department is open and staffed Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. The department can be reached by phone at 518.232.9288. If you leave a message your call will typically be returned within 24 hours.

All official communications regarding Ellis Medicine are arranged through the Communications Department. We look forward to working with members of the public and media organizations to provide accurate, up-to-date information about Ellis Medicine.

Contact:

Communications
Ellis Medicine
1101 Nott Street
Schenectady, NY 12308
518.232.9288