Safe Haven | Hazardous Materials Decontamination Unit

If you are a frightened parent of a new baby under 30 days of age and feel you cannot care for this baby, come to the Emergency department at The Williamsport Hospital or the Muncy Valley Hospital. You may give your baby to one of our nurses and simply leave. A new law allows you to do this. We do not even need to know your name or address.

When you give your baby to one of our nurses in the Emergency department, you may give the nurse a medical history of your baby if you choose. We will also give your baby a check up to be sure it receives medical care for any health problems. Then, we will get in touch with the Lycoming County Children and Youth Services and one of their employees will come to the Emergency department and see that your baby is placed in a loving, caring home.

Both you and your baby receive an identification bracelet with a confidential medical record number from our Emergency department. This will allow you to contact Lycoming County Children and Youth Services if you want information on your baby after you have left your baby in the Emergency department at either The Williamsport Hospital or the Muncy Valley Hospital.

A Hazardous Materials Decontamination Unit is now located on the Muncy Valley Hospital Campus. The unit, located outside of the hospital's Emergency department, is capable of decontaminating individuals who have been exposed to a hazardous material before they go into the Emergency department for treatment. In addition to decontaminating these individuals, the decontamination unit helps protect the Emergency department, its staff and patients who are waiting for treatment for other medical conditions, from contamination. The the health system felt it was important to have such a unit located in the eastern part of the country to compliment a similar decontamination unit located at The Williamsport Hospital. In the event of a chemical spill or other hazardous material exposure we have the capacity to decontaminate people at both locations, something that would be essential if there were a large number of people needing to be treated. The unit consists of three chambers. In the first chamber, the individual removes contaminated clothing then steps in the middle chamber to shower. Unlike many units, the shower has both hot and cold water. In the third chamber. the individual puts on a hospital gown and goes to the adjacent Emergency department for treatment.