Starting Monday, Feb. 14, Rutland Regional Medical Center will expand visitation for patients, allowing each patient to have two consistent visitors. This change comes as Covid-19 cases trend downward in Rutland and across Vermont and the hospital closes its public vaccination clinic.
“Our goal always is to keep our patients safe,” said President & CEO Claudio Fort. “At the same time, we understand that healing includes having family and friends close by. With more than two-weeks of downward Covid numbers, our Covid operations team felt we could safely relax some of the restrictions we placed on visitors and staff these past few months.”
The primary change affects patients’ visitors, who had not been allowed in the hospital except in certain instances since December. Beginning Monday, Feb. 14, inpatients can designate two consistent people to visit during their stay. Only these two designated visitors may visit during the patient’s stay. Visitation hours for inpatients remain 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Outpatients and same-day surgical patients are limited to one support person due to space availability in the respective waiting areas.
All visitors, whether inpatient or outpatient, must wear a hospital-issued mask while they are at the hospital.
Rutland Regional will continue to use video conferencing and other means of communication to keep patients connected to family and friends.
Another sign of things moving in the right direction is the planned closing of the hospital’s Covid-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday, Feb. 12. The clinic, which was located on the top floor of the Thomas W. Huebner Medical Office building, opened in the fall of last year to provide booster shots as well as vaccines for those who became eligible.
“Closing the vaccine clinic is a major milestone in our mission to get our community vaccinated and protected,” said Jonathan Reynolds, vice president of clinical services. “Fewer and fewer people need a Covid vaccine, and now, there are plenty of places to get one elsewhere in the community. We continue to urge everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted as it is your best protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from Covid-19.”
The hospital appreciates the community’s ongoing support and understanding and is hopeful to continue to relax the visitor restrictions as Covid-19 transmission decreases.
