Ocean Medical Center Temporarily Restricts Visitors Again

BRICK, NJ — Ocean Medical Center is restricting in-person visitation again as COVID-19 cases begin to rise significantly in the area.

The hospital is one of five in the Hackensack Meridian Hospital network in the risk level red, as of March 29, according to the Ocean Medical Center website.

The hospital network imposes the following restrictions on in-person visitation at hospitals at risk level red:

• One visitor permitted, a partner in care
• Partner in Care must be same person for the duration of stay, except for end of life
• Pediatrics
• Labor and delivery
• End of life
• Patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disabilities.

Visits must be scheduled through hospital’s Office of Patient Experience, and visitor exceptions must be approved by the care team, and must follow requirements on masking, symptom screening and other precautions.

Ocean Medical Center is seeing an increase in COVID-19 patients. The hospital had 65 COVID-19 patients occupying beds for the week ending April 1, according to data supplied by the hospital to the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

The data, as reported by NPR, show 19 percent of the hospital's adult beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, with 71 percent of the hospital's overall adult beds occupied. In the intensive care unit, 46 percent of the beds are occupied, and 16 percent of ICU patients are ill with COVID-19. Having 15 percent of its beds occupied by COVID-19 patients puts a hospital under stress, the NPR report said.

The New York Times report on the data shows there were 31 ICU beds available as of Monday.

Ocean Medical Center has 260 medical/surgical beds, according to documentation filed with the state health department.

The visitation policy also includes the following requirements:

• All visitors must be 18 years of age or older, except for exceptions approved by the care team.
• All visitors must wear the appropriate personal protective equipment. Bandanas, gaiters, or masks with exhalation valves are not permitted because they don’t provide sufficient protection.
• All guests must undergo a symptom check, which can be completed within 24 hours of visit by going to Guest Video and Screening Portal or can be done upon entering the hospital/site. Self-screening iPads are available at all hospital visitor entrances. Once a visitor has passed the screening, they can proceed to the information desk for further assistance.
• All visitors must perform hand hygiene before visiting a patient.
• Once in the hospital, visitors must remain in the patient’s room (or emergency department bay) throughout the visit, except when directed otherwise by hospital staff.
• All visitors must comply with hospital requirements to minimize the potential spread of infection.
• Exceptions may apply to pediatrics, labor and delivery, end of life, and patients with intellectual, developmental, or other cognitive disabilities.

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