Practice Management Alert

Question: Is there any kind of national or state requirement about masks in healthcare settings? Both patients and some staff are getting grumpy when asked to wear masks.

New York Subscriber

Answer: Officially, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone in a healthcare setting, including facilities like hospitals and nursing homes, wear a well-fitting mask or respirator as a means of infection source control, regardless of whether they’re staff or patients. However, the CDC also says that healthcare personnel can choose to forego masks in breakrooms or other places where patients do not have access, though they recommend continuous source control at all times when community transmission is high.

State mandates may vary. In New York, “… all personnel, regardless of vaccination status, in a healthcare setting (i.e., facilities or entities regulated under Articles 28, 36 and 40 of the Public Health Law) shall wear an appropriate face mask in accordance with applicable CDC exceptions, until this determination is modified or rescinded,” says Mary T. Bassett, MD, MPH, commissioner of health for the state of New York, in a September 2022 release.

She adds that all people older than 2 who can medically tolerate a mask should wear a mask or respirator when visiting healthcare facilities — though she does not make specific recommendations distinguishing “visitors” from “patients.” Additionally, there’s nothing to suggest that New York is enforcing any consequences for those who do not comply.

Read more about CDC guidance surrounding masks and respirators here: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ infection-control-recommendations.html.