Inpatient Visitation Expanding at St. Peter’s, Samaritan Hospitals Effective June 16

Effective Wednesday, June 16, 2021, St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) is expanding inpatient visitation at St. Peter’s Hospital and Samaritan Hospital.

The visitation hours will expand to noon to 8 p.m. For the purposes of palliative care discussions outside of normal visiting hours, family meetings will be permitted prior to noon, by appointment.

Patients will be permitted TWO visitors over 12 years of age in their room during visitation hours. Visitors are permitted to stay for the entirety of the noon to 8 p.m. visitation period. If additional visitors come to see a patient, the visitor(s) in the room will need to leave to maintain the maximum of two visitors, per patient. SPHP reserves the right to restrict visitor access to its emergency departments at St. Peter’s Hospital and the Samaritan Hospital main and Albany Memorial campuses, depending on periods of high patient volume and other circumstances.

All visitors will continue to be asked to show ID and screened upon entry to the facility and must pass screening to visit, in accordance with NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) contact tracing guidelines.

The decision was made due to a decrease in the regional rate of coronavirus cases and changes in guidance from the NYSDOH. This came following the announcement on June 15 from Gov. Andrew Cuomo that New York state had achieved the milestone of 70% of its adult population having received at least partial vaccination against COVID.

Visitors who are at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, are still strongly discouraged from visiting. Likewise, a planned visit to any patient who is at higher risk of acquiring and suffering significant consequences from COVID-19 should be considered a greater risk than benefit to that patient.

The DOH or SPHP may adjust visitation policies at any time, based on the prevalence of COVID-19 in a region or county, or for other related reasons.

*Please note this change only applies to these two hospitals, not our Continuing Care campuses.

Visitation Hours

• Peter’s Hospital & Samaritan Hospital: Noon to 8 p.m., 7 days a week, for inpatients; 24/7 for patients in the emergency departments.
• Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital: 3 p.m. to 7 p.m on weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays. 

Face Coverings and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• All approved visitors will be asked to show ID and screened upon entry to the facility and must pass screening to visit.
• Visitors are expected to wear a face mask while entering the facilities, as well as when traveling to and from patient care areas and patient/ER rooms.
• Visitors are permitted to leave the patient’s room to eat in our cafes and coffee shops, but food/drink is not allowed back into patient care areas and patient/ER rooms.
• Visitors must perform meticulous hand hygiene while at the hospital.
• Visitors for patients who are on enhanced droplet and contact precautions will be required to wear a face mask and PPE.
• Visitors are not permitted to use the restrooms in the patient rooms or on the patient floors. Visitors are permitted to use the restrooms in the main lobby areas of the hospitals.
• Visitors who fail to agree to this guidance will be asked to leave the hospital.

St. Peter’s Health Partners continues to offer safe, accessible care in its emergency departments at St. Peter’s Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, and Samaritan Hospital – Albany Memorial Campus. Telehealth services are also a convenient option for patients. To make an appointment or to schedule a surgery, procedure, or in-person visit, please visit: https://www.sphp.com/virtualhealth/.