Hospital safety
The last year has taught us a lot about what's essential. Essential workers. Essential supplies. Essential businesses. Now it's time to tend to another essential—your health. Not getting prompt, proper, regular medical care can have long-term consequences.
At White Plains Hospital and our physicians’ practices, we’ve exceeded the state and federal guidelines to protect you. Infection control was always our priority, and now we’ve taken further action, creating separate COVID-19 patient areas, implementing extensive cleaning practices, and enhancing screening for all staff and patients.
Learn more about our initiatives in place for your health and safety at the hospital:
Effective November 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the list of people eligible to those 5 years of age and older. To find out if you are eligible, visit the New York state vaccination website.
New York state Department of Health also requires all individuals to complete the New York state COVID-19 Vaccine Form prior to their vaccination appointment. Proof of completion must be presented at the vaccination site on the day of your appointment.
We encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated. COVID-19 can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people. Getting a vaccine is a major step in protecting you from getting COVID-19 or keep you from becoming seriously ill if you do get the virus. Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible in accordance with the Department of Health's prioritization.
We are eager to provide our eligible patients with the vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this time we do not have vaccine appointments available and we are currently not administering COVID-19 booster shots. Please check back regularly for the latest updates.
We continue to actively screen all patients and staff for coronavirus. When you call for an appointment, or visit the ED, staff will ask questions pertaining to possible symptoms of COVID-19 so they can determine the appropriate course of action, while reducing risk of exposure to others. In some cases, a virtual health visit may be recommended. Those with symptoms can also call our hotline at 914.681.2900, which is staffed 24/7. Screening and a temperature check will be repeated upon arrival to the Hospital for both patients and staff.
While infection prevention has always been a top priority, we are now taking special precautions when it comes to cleaning our ED, and our entire hospital, to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. We are focusing on all high touch areas and clean multiple times a shift to make sure every area is continuously disinfected. In addition, we are also using an Ultra Violet Robot (Xenex) as an extra measure to disinfect all areas. All areas are now being cleaned and Xenexed a minimum of four additional times during each shift—as well as after each possible COVID-19 or isolation patient.
Staff is taking the utmost precautions by wearing PPE during appointments across all of our facilities. In addition, all patients must wear face coverings at all times in the Hospital.
Our Emergency Medicine staff is ready to attend to your urgent health needs whenever you need them. Prior to entering the Hospital, all patients will have their temperature taken and asked a series of questions to evaluate for COVID-19. Following this evaluation, patients will be directed to the right location to care for their needs. All suspected COVID-19 patients will be isolated and cared for in a specially designated area of the Emergency Department.
Patients entering the Hospital, whether for planned procedures or through our Emergency Department, follow designated care pathways. Those admitted to the Hospital who are presumed or confirmed to have COVID-19 are escorted to an isolated unit in the Hospital where they will receive the care they need, minimizing any risk of exposure to non-COVID-19 patients.
We have changed our visitation policy to allow one visitor per day per patient. When visiting, we ask that all visitors please be masked at all times while in the Hospital. Visitors are allowed between the hours of 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Exceptions may apply for parents visiting the NICU; pediatric patients; patients in palliative care; and those with special needs, being discharged or needing a support person.
Safety remains our top priority, and we are following guidelines provided by the New York state Department of Health to allow limited visitation for family members and loved ones. See our visitation policy page for further details.
Physician practice safety
Over the last year, we've all been through a lot—and a lot has changed.
At our White Plains Hospital Physicians Associates practices, infection prevention has always been a top priority, and we've updated our facilities with the strictest of cleaning regimens, protective equipment and additional policies to ensure the health and safety of our staff and patients. We are here for you and ready to treat everything from the exceptional to the everyday.
Learn more about our initiatives in place for your health and safety:
Effective November 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the list of people eligible to those 5 years of age and older. To find out if you are eligible, visit the New York state vaccination website.
Once you are eligible, we encourage you to get vaccinated. COVID-19 can cause severe medical complications and lead to death in some people. Getting a vaccine is a major step in protecting you from getting COVID-19 or keep you from becoming seriously ill if you do get the virus.
We are eager to provide our eligible patients with the vaccine to protect against COVID-19. At this time we do not have vaccine appointments available and we are currently not administering COVID-19 booster shots. Please check back regularly for the latest updates.
When you call for an appointment, office staff will ask questions pertaining to possible symptoms of COVID-19 so they can determine the appropriate course of action. In some cases, a virtual health visit may be recommended.
Additional measures include:
- All patients and staff will receive a temperature check as they enter the building.
- If patients were not screened via phone within 24 hours, they will be screened again before heading to the reception desk.
The safety of you and your loved ones remains our top priority. For patients coming to our physician offices and for outpatient testing & procedures, we have changed our visitation policy to allow one visitor per day per patient. The safety of you and your loved ones remains our top priority.
Staff is taking the utmost precautions by wearing PPE during appointments across all of our facilities. In addition, all patients must wear face masks for appointments; these will be provided if forgotten.
Infection prevention has always been our top priority, and we are now taking special precautions to further ensure the safety of our patients and staff. More frequent cleaning practices are in place throughout all of our practices. We are focusing on all high touch areas and clean multiple times throughout the day to make sure every area is continuously disinfected. Waiting rooms are wiped down every hour, and exam rooms are disinfected after every patient visit. We are also scheduling sick appointments at the end of the day to provide time to properly disinfect our offices overnight.
As always, we are dedicated to making your visit safe, seamless and comfortable. Social distancing will be practiced during check-in, and our waiting rooms have been rearranged with fewer chairs that are spaced 6 feet apart. We removed all magazines and paper in the waiting rooms as well as coffee/snack stations and Plexiglass has been installed at all reception desks. Appointments will be scheduled further apart to promote separation and minimize wait times in public areas and patients are now required to wear their face coverings to appointments.