Dec 1, 2020 2 min read

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Allegheny Health Network is further limiting patient visitation at hospitals and outpatient facilities, effective today.

Exceptions to the tightened inpatient visitation policy will be made for certain areas and circumstances: labor and delivery; Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU); pediatrics; end of life care; patients who have an intellectual, developmental or cognitive disability, communication barrier, or behavioral concerns, or those with a physical disability; and patients being discharged from hospitals to help communicate their discharge instructions.

Visitors to the hospital exception areas are asked to bring a valid ID and will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before they can enter the facility. Only visitors age 18 and older are permitted.

In addition, one visitor will be permitted to accompany patients undergoing surgical or emergency care. Those accompanying adult loved ones will be asked to wait in their cars or in designated socially-distanced areas until further instructed by an AHN staff member. Some patients undergoing diagnostic testing or ambulatory care may also be permitted a visitor if special assistance is required for them to receive the necessary care.

“As cases across western Pennsylvania reach an all-time high, our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our patients and caregivers,” said Dr. Brian Parker, AHN chief quality and learning officer. “We recognize that implementing visitation restrictions can be difficult for patients and their loved ones, but it’s critical that we do everything we can to help protect frontline caregivers and flatten the curve of this public health crisis in the communities we serve.”