Mount Nittany Medical Center Revises Visitation Policy

After prohibiting visitations for nearly two months because of the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Mount Nittany Medical Center is once again allowing a limited number of visitors for most inpatients.

Inpatients — with the exception of those who are COVID-positive — can designate two individuals who are permitted to visit them throughout their stay, according to an update on the hospital’s website. One visitor at a time will be permitted during visiting hours of 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. daily.

Visitors will be required to stop at the main desk to verify their authorization and receive a wristband.

The behavioral health unit at the medical center will not be accepting visitors, according to the revised policy.

The updated policy went into effect on Saturday.

One caregiver or support person also may accompany patients of the emergency department and the women children’s services unit at all times during their stay.

A caregiver/support person may also accompany patients at Mount Nittany Health Physician Group practices and outpatient locations if needed but may be asked to wait in an alternative place, such as their vehicle.

Any visitor or caregiver/support person at any Mount Nittany Health facility will be screened for COVID-19 and no one with symptoms will be permitted to enter. Masks are required at all times in all of the health system’s facilities.

Visitation restrictions have been in place on and off over the past year and a half as part of the medical center’s pandemic response plan. Until Saturday, Mount Nittany had been prohibiting all visitations at the medical center, except in special circumstances, since late August.

Mount Nittany also is making daily decisions to cancel or reschedule elective surgeries and procedures that require an overnight stay because of continued high numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations, which last month were more than nine times higher than in September 2020.

As of Tuesday morning, 37 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized at the medical center, one fewer than on Monday, with one in intensive care and on a ventilator. The inpatients range in age from less than 1-year-old to 94 Ten are fully vaccinated and 27 are not vaccinated.