Orange County family says pleas to hospital to see dying father were denied
Garnet Health is one of four hospitals in Orange County, and News 12 has learned it's the only facility in the county that doesn't allow patient visitation for end-of-life cases.
News 12 Staff
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Feb 18, 2021, 11:17 AM
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Updated 1,169 days ago
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7h agoAn Orange County family is sharing their painful story of loss in the hope of helping others after their pleas to Garnet Hospital to see their dying father were denied.
Alexis Pisciotta says she remembers her dad, Angelo, as the one person she could always rely on for help.
But when he got sick last month with COVID-19, she says "it kept getting worse and he kept having to go up to the next level of oxygen."
It was her turn to take care of him, which included pleading with Garnet Hospital in Wallkill for visitation while the 72-year-old fought for his life in ICU.
"It's been really heartbreaking to not be there for the man who has been there for everybody in their lives," she says.
And while both father and daughter fought separately to stay together, Piscotta sadly lost his battle with the virus early Wednesday morning.
Garnet Health is one of four hospitals in Orange County, and News12 has learned it's the only facility in the county that doesn't allow patient visitation for end-of-life cases.
New York state law allows restricted visitations at hospitals' discretion - if visitors are healthy and wear PPE.
Despite state law, Pisciotta says her requests were denied.
She hopes sharing her experience will help prevent others from the experiencing the same fate.
"If there are other hospitals that allow you to have access to your love one I think that's something to really consider," she says.
A representative for Garnett says the hospital’s visitation policy excluded COVID-19 patients at the time.
In Westchester and Rockland, both Westchester Medical Center and Good Samaritan allow patients to receive end-of-life COVID-19 visitation from loved ones.
