Policies

Visitation at the CWBY main campus, Lee County Healthcare Center, and all VA Clinics is currently open. This applies to all areas at CWBY except the Community Living Center (CLC) and Hospice, which remain on a phased visitation plan (included below). Screening and masking requirements still apply to all visitors and social distancing is highly encouraged at all sites. Visitation restrictions may be re-instituted if community positivity rates of COVID-19 begin to rise.

Before visiting a patient at a VA facility, please review these guidelines:　

Visiting hours
Call the medical center for specific ward visiting hours and information.
C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center: 727-398-6661

Visiting church members
If you’re a member of the religious community, we encourage you to visit patients who belong to your church or religious group. However, you’re not allowed to do general visitation by going from bed to bed, ward to ward, or unit to unit.　

Bringing food
You may bring small amounts of candy, fruit, and other food items if the nursing staff says they are appropriate for a patient's diet. You may not bring fresh fruit and flowers to patients who are receiving critical care, and you can’t eat or drink in those units.

Washing hands
You must follow hand-hygiene policy guidelines, which require you to practice good hand hygiene when you enter and exit patient rooms, and at other times as directed by staff.

Following infection-control guidelines
You must follow guidelines on infection-control signs and report to the nurses' station for instructions before you enter a patient's room.

Staying home if you are ill
If you have a communicable disease, you won't be allowed to visit patients inside the medical center.

Giving privacy
Our staff may ask you to leave the room when they’re caring for patients. If a staff member asks you to leave a patient's room, you may continue your visit in the day room, waiting area, or any other public area of the facility.

Visiting patients in restraints
In general, you won't be allowed to visit patients who are in restraints. If the treatment team decides that your visit could have a positive effect on the patient, then you may have a supervised visit with the patient when a staff member removes the restraints. Our staff will document how the patient responds to you and other visitors.　

Bringing children to visit
Children of all ages can visit patients at our medical center. Children under the age of 16 may visit patients in psychiatric units with the doctor's permission.  For infection-control and safety reasons, however, children under the age of 16 are not allowed to visit certain specialty-care units.  All children under the age of 16 must be directly supervised by an adult. Children's bedside visits are limited to 15 minutes.

Limiting your visit
Our doctors may limit, restrict, or deny visits for the medical well-being of a patient.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 

Prohibited items
You cannot bring weapons, alcohol, tobacco products, illegal drugs or other prohibited items into any VA medical facility or building. Cameras should not be brought into our medical center or clinics, except when you are conducting official business authorized by the Director or his/her designee. If you have questions about what qualifies as official business, please contact the our Public Affairs Officer. 
 

Visitation Policy for our Community Living Center 

Please read on for information about the latest COVID-19 guidance and mandates that we are implementing for visitors at our CLC. Due to the high community transmission levels of COVID-19, the guidance below is effective immediately.

Visitors will be required to:

• Take a COVID antigen test (BinaxNOW), which will be administered by a staff member from the CLC, prior to visiting a resident.
  1. Visitors should enter at building 101 entrance
  2. Visitors will be assessed for COVID-19 symptoms and have their temperature taken at the door
  3. Visitors will be given a Level 3 mask to wear while in the CLC
  4. Visitors will be taken to the library area and have a COVID antigen test performed by a licensed staff member
  5. Visitors will wait approximately 20 minutes for the test results
• If the result is negative:
  1. Visitors will be asked to exit the CLC and re-enter the CLC at building 71 Pedway Entrance
  2. Visitors will sign in and obtain a visitor badge
  3. Staff will be contacted to escort the visitor to the place of visitation
  4. Visitors should complete hand hygiene before and after visit
  5. Visitors will keep their mask on during the entire visit
• If the result is positive, the visitor will be asked to leave the CLC and encouraged to seek medical assistance from their personal provider

Adhering to this guidance will aid in decreasing the spread of the virus and will ensure we can continue safeguarding the wellbeing of our Veterans and staff. 

Security 

Patient Safety is our number ONE concern.  We have a VA Police Service with uniformed federal officers stationed at the main campus and at our Lee County VA Healthcare Center.  Our officers provide 24-hour patrols of the facility and parking lots.  At our other clinics we utilize local authorities and emergency services, should the need arise.  If you find you are in need of Police and/or Security services, please contact a staff member who can put you in touch with the appropriate authorities.  To help keep our campuses safe, please report all suspicious or criminal activity, vehicle accidents, and personal property losses as soon as possible.

Because the VA Healthcare System is federal property, all persons and bags are subject to search. In addition, no weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs are permitted.