BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — St. Joseph’s Hospital has announced that it will revise its visitor guidelines effective Monday, March 7. Visiting hours will be expanded to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and visitors will no longer be limited to one per patient. Patients in the Obstetrics unit will be allowed two adult visitors for the length of the stay. They must be the same two visitors but will be permitted to come and go and overnight stays will be allowed. Visitors will need to register with the nursing unit where they are visiting. 

For outpatient diagnostics and clinic visits, one visitor may accompany the patient. Visitors are not permitted in the infusion/chemotherapy area.

For surgery patients, one visitor will be allowed to escort the patient to the pre-procedure waiting area.  Once the patient is called back to the clinical area, the visitor is required to leave the building or wait in the hospital lobby, if the weather causes health issues for waiting in their car. Once the patient’s procedure is complete, the surgeon will call the visitor with a patient update. When the patient is ready for discharge, the visitor will be called to receive instruction prior to staff escorting the patient to the vehicle. 

For Emergency Department patients, one visitor will be permitted for the duration of the patient’s visit. Other visitors will be asked to wait in their vehicle. The visitor will remain in the patient’s room for the duration of the visit.

Visitation to the Nursing Care Facility remains open per the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines.

All visitors will be screened at the registration desk in the main lobby of the hospital. They must obtain and wear a visitor badge and mask at all times. The registration desk will be open in the main lobby Monday through Friday until 5 p.m.  After 5 p.m. and on weekends, visitors must register in the emergency department registration area.  If screening at registration is positive, visitation will not be permitted.