Effective Nov. 30, 2020

For the safety of our patients and staff, and to lower their likelihood of exposure to any illness including COVID-19, UPMC Somerset is temporarily limiting access to our facilities to only patients, identified and approved support persons, staff, and essential vendors.

Our visitation policies are based on information and guidelines from national, state, and local health care officials.

This page will be updated frequently to reflect the latest updates to visitation guidelines at UPMC Somerset. To get updated visitation information for all UPMC facilities, please visit COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions | UPMC.

In addition to restricting visitors, we are following other COVID-19 prevention protocols, including entry screening, facemasks, social distancing, and frequent facility sanitizing.

We encourage you to use FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and phone calls to virtually visit with loved ones while they are in the hospital. If you need help with this, please let a staff member know.

All Support Persons in All Care Settings

Support persons are an important element of the care team and help our patients manage and communicate about their care.

• Everyone must wear a facemask upon entry and at all times and follow social distancing guidelines. If you do not have a facemask, we will provide you one at facility entry. We strongly encourage support persons to wear their own masks so that we can preserve our supplies for staff and clinical workers.
• No children visitors will be permitted in any care setting. Support people must be 18 years of age or older.
• All visitors, patients, and staff must pass the facility entry screening at all UPMC facilities, including hospitals, senior communities, outpatient facilities, and cancer centers. Screening specifics vary depending on the location and type of service.
• We trust you to help us keep our patients safe. Any non-patient who has shortness of breath, fever, or cough, or who has been in contact with someone who has COVID-19 or is being tested for COVID-19 should not enter UPMC facilities.

Inpatients and Outpatients

Inpatient and outpatient visitation is currently restricted, outlined below. All hospitals and facilities, except UPMC Chautauqua and Western Maryland, will follow these guidelines.

Non-COVID-19 inpatients and outpatients:

• Inpatients and inpatient surgery patients:
  • The patient should identify one support person. Support persons will be screened upon entry and must wear a facemask and a wristband, sticker, or tag.
  • The patient’s support person may visit within the location’s established support person hours.
  • Only one support person per patient is permitted inside the facility at a time.
• Outpatient surgery patients: The same one support person is permitted pre-procedure, for post-surgery discussion, and for assistance with discharge.
  • If the patient is discharged, the support person may stay with the patient.
  • If the patient is admitted, the support person may accompany the patient to the inpatient unit.
• Outpatients in hospital clinics, physician practices, and UPMC Outpatient Center locations: One support person is permitted.
  • If patients plan to bring a support person, they must pick someone who is not showing symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) and who has not had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19. Support persons must pass a pre-appointment screening phone call and/or registration check-in screening.
• All pediatric outpatients, including Children’s Community Pediatrics: Two support persons are permitted.
  • Support persons must pass a pre-appointment screening phone call and/or registration check-in screening.

Inpatients being tested for or diagnosed with COVID-19:

• Those who are suspected of having COVID-19 or inpatients diagnosed with COVID-19, or a representative on their behalf may identify one support person to assist them for the duration of their hospital stay.
  • In addition, visits by UPMC-employed pastoral care or by non-UPMC-employed community clergy are also permitted.
  • We will provide a time-limited window for visitation.
  • Visits must be scheduled and coordinated with hospital leadership.
• Support persons must:
  • Follow our patient support person guidelines.
  • Pass the facility’s entry screening process.
  • Wear a UPMC-issued patient support person wristband, sticker, or tag.
• Before entering the room of patients who are suspected of having COVID-19 or COVID-19 inpatients, support persons will be required to put on personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the nursing team, which will include a gown, gloves, a surgical mask with a face shield, or a surgical mask alone if a face shield is not available. A member of the hospital care team will assist them. This level of PPE is considered appropriate for support persons.
• When support persons enter an isolation room or area, a member of the hospital care team will assist them with PPE.
• When support persons exit an isolation room or area, a member of the hospital care team will help them safely remove their PPE.
• At the end of the visit, support persons will leave the hospital.