Statement Regarding Maternity Safeguards and COVID-19

We have been fielding many inquiries today about a family that gave birth recently at Strong Memorial Hospital that was featured in the news.  We want to protect the privacy of this family while explaining the steps that were taken to ensure the safety of all patients and staff members at all University of Rochester hospitals.

The patient in question and her partner were in a private maternity room throughout their hospital stay.   Both the mother and partner were isolated from other patients.  After the mother exhibited symptoms, and the OB team learned that the partner had been exposed to COVID-19 and was symptomatic, the patient was tested and all staff who had been in contact were informed of their possible exposure.  Per hospital protocols, staff members without symptoms continued to work while masked, monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19, and having their temperatures checked twice daily.  No involved staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. One staff member developed symptoms, was quarantined at home, and later tested negative for COVID-19. The couple and their baby were asked to quarantine, pending testing results, to protect the community and were discharged from the hospital.

During the rapidly evolving public health threat posed by COVID-19, the University of Rochester Medical Center has enacted  and adjusted visitor restrictions and patient care protocols to maximize safety for patients and staff.  A summary of steps we’ve taken, which follow professional recommendations of government health  officials and the NYS Department of Health, are outlined on our website.  https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news.aspx

The families and patients of the upstate NY region should be assured that the safety of our patients and their families, as well as our staff, are our top priority during this crisis.  Our healthcare team understands how important it is to pregnant patients to have a support person with them during labor, and therefore, additional safeguards have been added allow this to continue safely.   We will continue to weigh all the medical evidence available to continue to make the best possible decision for all our patients, visitors, and staff.