COVID-19 Protocols:

Updated: June 14, 2021

As of Monday, June 14, 2021, UVS is happy to welcome our clients back into the building! Please see the below information regarding reopening and our most current COVID-19 policies.

Clients arriving for their appointment with a specialist or an emergency visit will be directed to call our Client Relations team upon arrival. During your initial phone call with our team, clients will be asked four screening questions regarding COVID-19 and given three options for proceeding with their appointment.

Screening Questions:

1. Are you fully vaccinated?
2. Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
3. Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet for 10 minutes cumulative over 24 hours) with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has experienced symptoms of COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
4. Have you experienced any symptoms of COVID-19 that are new in the past 14 days? Symptoms include fever/chills, cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle/body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea?

Our staff will not ask for proof or verification regarding a vaccination status. This screening question is a yes or no answer and will be used for contract tracing purposes only. A client’s answer to this question does not affect the ability to enter the building.

Appointment Types:

Following our screening questions, clients will be given three options for proceeding with their appointment:

1. Continue curbside services and remain in your vehicle.
2. Wait in your vehicle until your appointment is ready and be taken directly into an exam room.
3. Enter the building and wait in the lobby.
   • Appropriate spacing in the lobby must be available to proceed with option 3.
   • Please follow social distancing guidelines when in the lobby.

A client’s answer to being vaccinated will NOT affect their ability to enter the building. However, if a client answers yes to any remaining screening questions (COVID positive or symptomatic), the appointment will be conducted via curbside.

For an appointment within the hospital, either in the lobby or straight to an exam room, we are limiting the number of visitors to two (2) individuals per patient.

Mask Policy:

Face masks are required in all public areas of the hospital. Please take the time to understand why we require masks within the hospital.

1. UVS will not be asking clients to show proof of their vaccination status.
2. Human healthcare facilities are one of the exceptions to the new, relaxed CDC masking guidelines. As a medical facility, we are following our human healthcare colleague’s lead.
3. Our hospital’s work environment has many tight, shared spaces that do not allow for social distancing.
4. Some of our clients and colleagues are not vaccinated, cannot be vaccinated, or have medical conditions that make them a higher risk for contracting COVID-19.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in this matter. Please click here for full details on our COVID-19 protocols, including visitation, euthanasia, and prescription pick-ups.