10
Service Animals
E. The policy should include a list of locations from which service animals
are prohibited and reasons for that exclusion.
1. Where exclusion is based solely on risk to the service animal, the patient should be
consulted.
2. When the service animal is restricted from accompanying the patient, reasonable
accommodation should be made for the person with disability to function without
the service animal. Areas from which service animals should be prohibited include
the following :
a. Invasive procedure areas where sterility is required, including but not limited to the
operating rooms, recovery rooms, cardiac catheterization suites, and endoscopy suites.
b. Patient units where a patient is immunocompromised or deemed at particularly
high risk for infection, or in isolation for respiratory (droplet or airborne) contact,
or compromised host precautions, unless in a particular circumstance a service
animal does not pose a direct threat and the presence of the service animal would
not require a fundamental alteration in the hospitals' policies, practices, or
procedures.
c. Food and medication preparation areas where appropriate hygiene is required,
including but not limited to kitchen, infant formula preparation room, and central
and satellite pharmacies.
d. Areas where the service animal or equipment may be harmed by exposure (eg,
metal is not allowed in a magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] room, and a dog
may have metal on a collar or in a surgical implant), after consultation with the
patient or his/her authorized representative. When there is potential harm to the
service animal (eg, animal present in room during radiation therapy), the patient
should be advised of the potential harm and assumes full responsibility for any
harm to the service animal.
F. Legal counsel should be consulted prior to exclusion of a service
animal from a healthcare facility.
G. Any consideration of restricting or removing a service animal should
be done with careful discussion with the patient (and/or his or her
designee) to achieve consensus and provide an understanding of the
concerns.
H. The policy should include the following regarding the health of the
service animal:
1. The person with a disability (or his or her designee) is responsible for ensuring the
health and care of the service animal.
2. Visiting or residing in a healthcare facility likely increases the risk of the animal
acquiring certain pathogens. The healthcare facility assumes no liability for costs
associated with a hospital-associated infection in the service animal.
