GBGH announces next step in resuming visitation to enhance the patient and family experience
July 14, 2021 – Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) is continuing to gradually expand visitation to enhance the patient and family experience. Effective July 14, GBGH is allowing two visitors at a time for inpatients within the set visiting hours of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. This is an increase from one visitor per patient per day at a scheduled visitation time. Inpatient visits will no longer need to be booked in advance during specific blocks of time.
“GBGH is very pleased to announce we are continuing to gradually increase visitation as local cases of COVID-19 have decreased in the past few weeks,” says Gail Hunt, president and CEO, GBGH. “It is never easy for hospitals to limit visitation as we know how much it improves patient outcomes and experience. Decision made about visitation are always carefully considered based on local case data and maintaining the safety of patients and the GBGH team. We look forward to eventually resuming 24/7 family presence once it is deemed safe to do so, and in line with provincial guidance.”
Visitation for outpatients is also changing for the first time since the pandemic began. GBGH will now permit one visitor per patient in the following areas: Emergency department, Ambulatory Care, Diagnostic Imaging and Day Surgery.
Exceptions to visitor restrictions include visitation for a palliative/actively dying patient. In palliative cases, GBGH will allow up to four visitors at a time, as coordinated with the care team. Birthing patients are also permitted two visitors at a time for as long as they require assistance.
All permitted visitors will continue to be screened upon entering the hospital. Any visitor who screens positive for COVID-19 symptoms will be asked to not visit. In exceptional circumstances (such as a support person for a woman in labour, a parent/guardian of a child in the Emergency department or a palliative/end of life patient), a visitor who screens positive for symptoms will be reviewed by GBGH’s infection prevention and control practitioner or hospital coordinator prior to entry.
All visitors must comply with hand hygiene practices, wear a hospital-provided mask and follow physical distancing. Visitors could also be asked to wear additional personal protective equipment as determined by the care team based on a patients’ condition.
Visitor guidelines are subject to change based on the status of the pandemic within the region GBGH serves.
For more information, please visit http://gbgh.on.ca/covid-19-visitor-restrictions/.
Contact:
Jennifer Moore
Communications Officer, GBGH
705-526-1300 ext 5177