Patients and Visitors

Permitting the following exceptions:

1. Labor and Delivery Units: Hospitals have revised their visitation policies, allowing the patient to designate one support person to be present during labor, delivery, and the remaining duration of their stay based on clinical guidance and as medically appropriate. The support individual must be free of COVID-19 symptoms before entering the labor and delivery area and adhere to facility guidelines.
   Visitation on postpartum/antepartum units is now expanded with up to two visitors, but only one visitor may be present at a time. Limited hours for visitors as determined by site. (This expanded visitation is not permitted if the patient or support individual is positive for COVID-19).
2. For patients in imminent end-of-life situations, one family member, clergy, and/or legal representative may be a support person. The patient and/or family/caregiver may designate up to two support people, and two support people may be present at a time. In the event the patient is a parent of a minor child, one adult family member and one child may be permitted at the patient bedside.
3. For patients for whom a support person has been determined to be essential to the care of the patient (medically necessary), including patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), and patients with cognitive impairments, including advanced dementia, two support people may be designated, and one support person may be present at a time at the patient beside.
4. For patients not on precautions for COVID-19, up to two visitors can be designated, but only one visitor may be present at a time. Limited hours for visitors as determined by site. Only one visitor at a time for Critical Care patients (unless end of life exception applies), and only during the designated hours for critical care visitors as determined by hospital site.
5. For pediatric patients, only one parent/guardian will be allowed at the patient’s bedside at one time. Parents can designate a second support person (i.e., the second parent or grandparent) to relieve the one parent, particularly in times of prolonged hospitalization.
6. Patients in the Emergency Department, who have not been hospitalized, may have one support person at a time, per patient, for their entire Emergency stay. The patient or their legal representative will determine the identified essential support person. One support person will be able to accompany a patient in the Emergency Department, and the support person must remain within close proximity of the patient’s treatment room or the designated waiting area for the entire visit.
   If the patient being accompanied by the support person is admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Department, and none of the above scenarios apply, that support person may accompany the patient during the admission process to ensure the patient is settled, thereafter, this individual is considered a “visitor” and must adhere to the current COVID-19 visitor restrictions. If a patient is admitted outside of permitted visiting hours, the visitor must return during visiting hours (as applicable).
   Exceptions to the ‘one person at a time’ designation may apply. Pediatric patients may have both parents as essential support persons within the Emergency Department. Any other extenuating circumstance will be presented to the lead Emergency Department physician for consideration. 
7. Visitation duration and number of visitors will be limited at the site’s discretion based on circumstances. A facility may suspend visitation at any time when warranted. Recommended hours of visitation will be determined by the facility.All visitors should be greater than 18 years of age, except in very rare cases as mentioned above.

• All visitors will be screened for symptoms (fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or diarrhea) and conduct a temperature check prior to entering the clinical area, and every 12 hours thereafter for the remainder of their presence at the bedside.
• All visitors will be asked to perform meticulous hand hygiene and wear a face mask throughout the visit.
• Visitors will be asked to stay in the patient room throughout the visit, except during aerosol-generating procedures, and will have limited access to restrooms, and the ‘to-go’ option of the cafeterias.
• Visitors are requested to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), i.e. procedure mask, gown, gloves, and eye protection (if available) while in the area/room based on the patient’s diagnosis. When leaving the area/room, visitors will remove PPE (except mask), perform hand hygiene, and exit the hospital. The mask can be removed after exiting the building.
• Visitors who fail to agree to wear a procedure mask and other PPE will be asked to leave the facility.

Recommended hours of visitation will be determined by the facility:

Canton-Potsdam Hospital
General visitation 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Critical Care visitation 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Support Persons are as described above.

Gouverneur Hospital
General visitation 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Support Persons are as described above.

Massena Hospital
General visitation 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Support Persons are as described above.

Effective June 19, 2020

• Only one support person at a time per patient for their entire Emergency stay. The patient or their legal representative will determine the identified essential support person who can visit the hospital. One support person will be able to accompany a patient in the Emergency Department, and the support person must remain within close proximity of the patient’s treatment room or the designated waiting area for the entire visit.
• All support persons MUST be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.
• Each support person MUST wear a mask at all times, and ensure social distancing with proper hand hygiene.
• If the patient being accompanied by the support person is admitted to the hospital from the Emergency Department, that support person is now a “visitor” and must adhere to the current COVID-19 visitor restrictions. If a patient is admitted outside of permitted visiting hours, the visitor must return during visiting hours (as applicable).
• Exceptions may apply. Pediatric patients may have both parents as essential support persons. Any other extenuating circumstance will be presented to the lead Emergency Department physician for consideration.

If your loved one is hospitalized, he/she will be provided with meals or snacks appropriate to his/her healing plan; always ask your loved one's nurse about bringing food items from home or a restaurant.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital
The Hospital Café is located on street-level
Café hours are daily from 7:00 AM - 5:45 PM

Gouverneur Hospital
The Hospital Café is located on the lower-level
Staffed Café hours are daily from 6:00 AM -  7:30 PM

Massena Hospital
The Hospital Cafeteria is located on the 2nd floor
The Cafeteria is open daily from 6:15 AM - 3:30 PM, à la carte 

Volunteers manage the hospitals' Gift Shop, which stock jewelry, stuffed animals, toys, coffee travel mugs, handbags, scarves, and other items sure to help you convey a caring message to loved ones. 

Canton-Potsdam Hospital Guild Gift Shop
Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Gouverneur Hospital Auxiliary Gift Shop
Monday through Friday, 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Massena Hospital Gift Shop
Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Every-other Tuesday, 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

We offer a service for safe disposal of used needles and sharps. Use a specially-designed sharps container available from most pharmacies, or place your used sharps in an empty detergent or bleach bottle, seal the bottle, and label it clearly as "used sharps."

Please do not leave sharps bottles unattended at any time.

Canton-Potsdam Hospital
Bring containers to 50 Leroy Street and notify the switchboard staff that you have used sharps for disposal. 

Gouverneur Hospital
Bring containers to 77 West Barney Street and notify the laboratory staff that you have used sharps for disposal. 

Massena Hospital
Bring containers to 1 Hospital Drive and notify the laboratory staff that you have used sharps for disposal. 

Our employees make every effort to leave the closest parking spaces open for patients and visitors, and spaces for people with disabilities are clearly marked. Designated space for emergency visits and for clergy is available adjacent to the emergency room of the main campus.

Compliments and words of thanks are welcome and are relayed to staff members and supervisors. We love to hear the good, and we need to hear the not-so-good.

If something about your care is of concern to you, allow our Director of Patient Experience to address your concern first. We are committed to continuous improvement and your feedback assists us in serving you better. If you have a concern about your care or your visit to us, please contact:

CPH's Director of Patient Experience at (315) 261-5050
GH's Director of Patient Experience at (315) 535-9362
MH's Department of Patient Concerns at (315) 842-3025

ALL OUR CAMPUSES ARE PROUDLY SMOKE-FREE.

New York State law prohibits smoking on or within 15 feet of the property line of a medical facility, or on or within 100 feet of a school or educational facility.

If you use tobacco products and are admitted as an inpatient, please speak to your nurse. Help with quitting smoking is available from all of our primary care providers and Pulmonology specialists.

Because some of our Potsdam facilities are adjacent to property designated as educational, smoking is not permitted on the sidewalks, parking lots, or across the street from our Potsdam campus.