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Visitor Policy

Effective October 28, 2024, all visitors must practice proper hand hygiene and should self-screen and wear a facemask that covers the nose and mouth at all times while on the Washington Regional campus including in patient rooms if they have:

  • Symptoms of any respiratory illness including cough, sore throat, fever (over 100F), chills, or loss of taste or smell
  • Have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 7 days

Visitors should defer non-urgent, in-person visitation if they:

  • Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days

For those who fail the screening criteria above, options for remote electronic or telephonic visitation shall be made available.

The Tyson Commons Cafeteria, Apothecary Coffee Café, and gift shop are open to visitors

Failure to follow the guidelines below will result in the visitor being asked to leave the campus.

  • Inpatient care NOT related to COVID: Hospital visitation hours for Non-Intensive Care patients are from 4:30 a.m.– 9 p.m.
  • Intensive Care Units (ICU): ICU visiting hours are from 9 a.m.  9 p.m. One overnight visitor may be accommodated by request. No more than two visitors may be in a room at one time. No children under 12 years of age unless approved by ICU director or house supervisor.
  • COVID Patients Admitted to Hospital: Visitors are encouraged to limit in-person visitation to a maximum of 20 minutes. Visitors are asked to consider their personal risk factors for COVID-19 prior to visitation and are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment while in the patient room.
  • Outpatient Procedures: During the procedure, visitor(s) will be asked to wait in the patient room or designated waiting areas. Infection prevention and control practices shall be adhered to as a condition of visitation. 
    • If the patient is admitted to the hospital, the visitor(s) will be asked to follow the hospital visitor guidelines during patient hospital stay.
  • Emergency Department: Visitor(s) will be asked to wait in the patient room or designated waiting area. Infection prevention and control practices shall be adhered to as a condition of visitation. 
    • If an ER patient is admitted to the hospital, the visitor(s) will be asked to follow the hospital visitor guidelines during patient hospital stay.
  • Obstetric Patients:
    • Labor and Delivery Unit: Each patient may have their desired number of visitors during their stay. However, only two (2) visitors may be present at a time. All labor and delivery unit visitors must be age 12 or older.
    • Postpartum Unit: Each patient may have their desired number of visitors aged 12 and above during their stay (2 at a time) except between the hours of 9 a.m.- 8 p.m. when siblings of the infant (with no age restrictions) are permitted to visit four (4) at a time.
  • Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Patients: Both parents / (1) one parent and (1) one support person will be allowed to visit at the same time. Siblings and immediate family designated by parents of the patient may also be allowed to visit. 
  • Individuals who use a wheelchair or have special needs (e.g., disability, emotional instability, cognitive impairment, neurologic impairment, etc.) where the presence of a patient visitor may assist in patient care, will be allowed to have a visitor present at all times.
  • Visitation without limitation: A clergy member or lay person offering religious or spiritual support may be physically present with a patient to pray with or offer spiritual support.

Infection prevention and control measures will be practiced and maintained as a condition of visitation. Visitor polices are subject to change as developments necessitate.