Lonely Christmas: NJ Holiday Hospital Restrictions In Effect

NEW JERSEY - The limits on visitors remain in most Garden State hospitals, as the COVID-19 pandemic's second wave has kept them in the red zone.

Months ago, hospitals across the state in adopting visitation guidelines from the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA). This standardized policy for hospital visitation provides color codes based on the level of virus risk (virus risk is determined by COVID-19 levels in the community, the level of COVID-19 patients at each hospital, staffing levels, and inventories of PPE supplies).

Each week, the NJHA issues a report that establishes the risk level for each of the state’s four regions and the restrictions they entail. Below is a snap shot of some hospitals, but it is always best to check with each facility to see what level they are at and what accomodations can be made.

The Valley Hospital

• The Valley Hospital, 223 N Van Dien Ave, Ridgewood, has been operating at risk level red. No visitors are allowed, with limited exceptions.

Cooper University Hospital

• Cooper University Hospital, 1 Cooper Plaza, Camden, joined hospitals throughout the state of New Jersey to adopt a new data-driven approach that sets visitation levels based upon the prevalence of COVID-19 and stress on hospitals in geographic areas. Those interested in visiting should contact the Cooper location they wish to visit.

Robert Wood Johnson Barnabus Health

All visitors must be 18 years of age or older, except in rare exceptions as determined by the facility.

Adult Inpatient Acute Care Units: One person per patient at a time is permitted between the hours of 12 noon and 8 p.m.

• For Clara Maass Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed.
• For Community Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. Exceptions will be made for patients receiving compassionate end of life care, parents of minors and caregivers for those with special needs. Patients will be asked to provide contact information for a family member or friend who will receive updates on the pat ient’s care.
• For Jersey City Medical Center: No Visitors allowed.
• For Monmouth Medical Center: Visitation at the bedside is restricted with limited exceptions.
• For Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus: Visitation at the bedside is restricted with limited exceptions.
• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. The care team must approve any exceptions for Adults at end of life, patients in labor, patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability. Must be same person for duration of stay, except for end of life.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick: Visitors will not be allowed. Exceptions will be made for patients receiving compassionate end of life care and caregivers of those with special needs. Patients will be asked to provide contact information for a family member or friend who will receive updates on the patient’s care.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway: Visitors will not be allowed.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset: No visitors are permitted.
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. Exceptions will be made for patients receiving compassionate end of life care, parents of minors and caregivers of those with special needs. Patients will be asked to provide contact information for a family member or friend who will receive updates on the patient’s care.

Pediatric Units: Two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor.

• For Monmouth Medical Center: Visitation at the bedside is limited to parents and guardians of family care partners (limited to two people per visit).
• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Limited visitation will be allowed. One parent or guardian may accompany the patient. NICU patients may have both parents or guardians. Pediatric patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability. Pediatric patient visiting hours are 24/7
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center: Two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor. If the pediatric patient has COVID-19, only one parent will be allowed.

Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Two parents/support persons are permitted at any time.
For Monmouth Medical Center: Visitation will be limited to parents or support persons.

• Maternity and Labor & Delivery Units: One significant other/support person is permitted. In addition to a significant other/support person, a doula is also permitted throughout labor, delivery, and the entire postpartum hospital stay. The doula shall not count as the support person. Once in the labor and delivery unit, the designated support person and/or doula must have extremely limited access to the other areas of the hospital and will not be permitted to leave and reenter the unit without being rescreened for temperature and symptoms.
• For Monmouth Medical Center: Maternity patients will be limited to one banded support person and/or doula.
• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Limited visitation will be allowed. One visitor for the duration of the birth parent’s stay, must be the same person. One doula for the duration of the birth parent’s stay, must be the same doula. Visiting hours are 24/7.

Emergency Department: One visitor per patient is permitted at any time for adult patients. Two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor.

• For Clara Maass Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed.
• For Community Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. Upon arrival, patients seeking treatment in our Emergency Department will be asked to provide contact information for a family member or friend who will receive updates on the patient’s care.
• For Jersey City Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. Exception: One parent or guardian is permitted at any time where the patient is a minor. All visitors will be required to undergo temperature screening and wear a facemask at time of entrance. * When in-person visitation is not possible, we encourage family members and friends to use alternative ways to interact with their loved ones (phone calls, Facetime, Skype, etc.)
• *Visitors may wear their own facemask/covering upon arrival and throughout their stay in the facility, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks with a vent/valve are not permitted because they do not provide the intended level of protection for others. If visitors do not have their own facemask/covering they will be provided one.
• For Monmouth Medical Center: Emergency Department visitation is restricted with limited exceptions.
• For Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus: Emergency Department visitation is restricted with limited exceptions.
• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. The care team must approve any exceptions for adult patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability. For pediatric patients, one parent or guardian may accompany the patient.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway: Visitation may be temporarily suspended due to a critical situation at the discretion of the Nursing Supervisor.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick: No visitors are permitted at any time for adult patients. One parent or guardian is permitted at any time in the Pediatric Emergency Department where the patient is a minor.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset: No visitors are permitted at any time for adult patients. Two parents or guardians are permitted at any time where the patient is a minor.
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center Emergency Department: Visitors are not allowed. The care team must approve any exceptions for adult patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability. For pediatric patients, two parents or guardians may accompany the patient.

Behavioral Health Adult Units: No visitors permitted until further notice.

• For Jersey City Medical Center: No visitors permitted except for pediatrics, labor and delivery, end of life and patients with intellectual, development, cognitive impairment including dementia, communication barriers or behavioral concerns. Visitors may not be present during procedures or in the recovery room, except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental or other cognitive disability.
• For Monmouth Medical Center: Visitation at the bedside is restricted with limited exceptions.

Psychiatric Patients

• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Limited visitation will be allowed with approval of the care team. Patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability.
• Pediatric Psychiatric Patients: Only one parent/guardian is permitted if/when a mutual agreement between the care team and the parents/guardian has been reached.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset: No visitors permitted on the Eating Disorders Unit.
• Visitors may not be present during procedures or in the recovery room, except for pediatrics, childbirth, and patients with an intellectual, developmental or other cognitive disability.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway: Visitors may not be present during procedures or in the recovery room.

Same Day Surgery or Testing & Procedure Patients, except for pediatrics, and patients with an intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability, may have one support person prior to and after the procedure. The support person may remain with the patient through the initial intake process and may rejoin the patient for the discharge process.

• For Community Medical Center: Visitors will not be allowed. Caregivers/support person will be permitted in the hospital to escort the patient to their appointment or procedure area and leave immediately after. Exceptions will be made for parents of minors and caregivers for those with special needs. The caregiver/support person will receive a phone call to notify them when it is time to return and pick up the patient.
• For Monmouth Medical Center: Same Day Surgery or Medical Day Stay patients will be dropped off at the main entrance, and the designated family member will be notified to rejoin the patient for the discharge process. Pediatric surgical patients are limited to parents or guardians of family care partners.
• For Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus: Same Day Surgery or Medical Day Stay patients will be dropped off at the main entrance, and the designated family member will be notified to rejoin the patient for the discharge process.
• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Limited visitation will be allowed. If social distancing can be accomplished, one visitor may be present until patient is taken into prep, visitor must then leave. Visitor may not be present during procedures or in the recovery room, except for pediatrics, childbirth, or patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disability.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset: A phone call will be made after the procedure to update the support person. When the patient is ready for discharge, the support person will be called to meet them at the patient discharge area in the hospital’s main lobby to take them home.
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center: No visitation. Pediatric same day surgery or procedure patients may have one parent in pre and post op areas. One visitor may accompany a patient with an intellectual, developmental or other cognitive disability.
• For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset: A phone call will be made after the procedure to update the support person. When the patient is ready for discharge, the support person will be called to meet them at the patient discharge area in the hospital’s main lobby to take them home.
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center: No visitation. Pediatric same day surgery or procedure patients may have one parent in pre and post op areas. One visitor may accompany a patient with an intellectual, developmental or other cognitive disability.
• Outpatients may be accompanied by one adult. Visitors may wait for the patient in the hospital or facility’s designated waiting area (subject to physical space availability), while the patient is having his/her procedure.
• For Jersey City Medical Center: Outpatients may be accompanied by ONE adult (unless an aide or assistant is required).
• For Monmouth Medical Center:Outpatients may be accompanied by one support person, who may be directed to an alternate waiting area to ensure physical distancing.
• For Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus: Outpatients may be accompanied by one support person, who may be directed to an alternate waiting area to ensure physical distancing.
• For Saint Barnabas Medical Center: Outpatient visitation is strongly discouraged and dependent on the specific service area. Please call and speak to the department prior to arriving at the facility.

Pediatric Rehabilitation Inpatient Units: One parent/guardian/caregiver is permitted at all times; a second parent/guardian/caregiver may be permitted for coordinated training purposes when approved by the care team

• Pediatric and Adult Long Term Care Units/Transitional Care Units: Visitation may vary based on New Jersey Department of Health guidelines. Please contact the individual units for further information.
• Children’s Specialized Mountainside 908-301-5450
• Children’s Specialized Toms River 732-797-3800
• Clara Maass Medical Center Transitional Care Unit 973-450-2220
• Community Medical Center Transitional Care Unit 732-557-2270

End-of Life-Patients:

• For Newark Beth Israel Medical Center: Limited visitation will be allowed.
• Up to two visitors at bedside at the same time. Visitors may switch throughout the day.
• Visiting hours are 24/7

COVID-19 Patient Visitation: Visitation for patients with confirmed COVID-19 will still be restricted to extenuating circumstances only such as hospice or end of life. For patients who are Persons Under Investigation (PUI) that have symptoms, visitation will be on hold for 24 hours or until COVID-19 test results are available.

Atlantic Health Hospitals

Visitation is currently suspended at Atlantic Health Hospitals, with limited exceptions. This includes Chilton, Hackettstown, Newton, Overlook and Morristown medical centers, as well as Goryeb Children’s Hospital. These restrictions are subject to change based upon guidance from our care teams, the New Jersey Department of Health and the New Jersey Hospital Association.

Support persons will only be permitted with the following patients:

Emergency Department Patients:

• One support person will be allowed to accompany an adult patient during the initial assessment period to answer questions and provide information to our care team. The support person will be asked to leave once the information is provided.
• One parent or guardian of a pediatric patient will be allowed for the duration of the stay.

Maternity Care Patients:

• One support person will be allowed, which must be the same person for the duration of the mother’s stay.
• One doula will be allowed, which must be the same doula for the duration of the mother’s stay.

Surgery or Procedure Patients:

• One support person may accompany a patient to answer questions and provide information to our care team. The support person will be asked to leave once the information is provided.
• They encourage all support people to drop their loved ones off and provide a contact phone number so that we can regularly communicate the status of the patient. We will contact you with ample time to return and pick up your loved one.

Pediatric Patients:

• Two parents or guardians may be with the child during the day. One parent or guardian may remain with the child overnight and throughout the duration of the inpatient hospital stay.

Support Person During Hospital Discharge:

• To support our patients and their caregivers, one support person will be allowed at discharge for bedside discharge instructions and education.
• Exceptions may be made for patients receiving compassionate end-of-life care, pediatric patients, and caregivers for patients with special needs, which may include intellectual, developmental or cognitive impairment including dementia, communication barriers or behavioral concerns. Patients will be asked to provide contact information for a family member or support person who will receive updates on their care.

No visitors are permitted with confirmed COVID-19 patients or persons under investigation for COVID-19.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.