Hospital Visitor Guidelines

Visitor Guidelines

Baptist is committed to the care and compassion of our patients and their need for visitors during this time to aid in the healing process.

We will allow visitors in accordance with the following parameters:

• COVID-19 positive patients may have up to 2 designated visitors at a time during the visitor hours of 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. daily. Visitors will be given specific instructions to adhere to during their visit.
• Non-COVID-19-positive hospital patients may have up to 2 designated visitors at a time.
• Emergency department patients may have one designated visitor.
• Patients undergoing surgery or a procedure may have one designated visitor before and immediately after the surgery/procedure.
• Non-COVID-19-positive hospital patients at end of life may have a limited number of visitors who must remain in the room for the duration of the visit.

Please note that all visitors must screen negative for the following symptoms: fever; cough; sore throat; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; chills; repeated shaking with chills; muscle pain; new onset of fatigue, nausea or vomiting; diarrhea; headache; new loss of taste or smell; and have had no contact with known or suspected COVID-19 patients.

All designated visitors must wear hospital-issued masks throughout their time in the hospital.

Face masks still required at all Baptist facilities

In alignment with guidance from the CDC, Baptist will continue to require all patients, visitors and staff to wear masks at all times in all our health care facilities, including hospitals, doctors’ offices, surgery centers, diagnostic centers and similar facilities.

While we understand some state and local governments have relaxed COVID-19 restrictions, to ensure the health and safety of our patients, families and employees, our rules have not changed.

All of our pandemic safety precautions remain in effect until further notice, including:

• Maintaining our current visitation policy
• Requiring our employees to continue following COVID-19 safety protocols, including social distancing and mask wearing

We will continue to monitor guidance from local health departments and the CDC, evaluate our internal policies and communicate changes, if any, when appropriate.

Thank you for continuing to wear your mask and keeping our patients, families and employees safe.

Putting the Patient First

• Patients appreciate a quiet hospital. Remember to keep noise down while visiting.
• Ask your loved one how long they want visitors to stay; don't stay too long and tire them out too much. Also, don't assume that your loved one would prefer to not have visitors. Ask them what they want and need.
• Please notify the nurse if you notice any significant changes in the patient's medical condition during your visit.
• Please don't come to visit if you feel sick. You may spread your germs to your loved one or others.
• Avoid wearing or bringing items with strong scents or odors, such as perfume or smoke, into the patient's room.

Behavior in the Patient’s Room

• Family and visitors may stay in the patient room during tests or treatments, unless the patient wants privacy or if the doctor or nurse needs to examine the patient in private.
• Wash your hands when you get here, before you leave and after shaking hands, hugging or otherwise touching the patient.
• Family members staying overnight must stay in the patient’s room, and only one visitor is allowed to stay in a private room overnight.
• Do not bump or sit on a patient's bed. This could interfere with medical equipment.
• Do not touch, move or change settings with any equipment, power cords, tubing or wires in the room.

Cancer and COVID-19

During this extraordinary time, current and former cancer patients, their families, and their in-home caregivers may need to take extra steps to protect their health while staying at home. Chemotherapy and other immune system suppressing treatments can make cancer patients more vulnerable to infection. We recommend you follow these suggestions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for safeguarding the health of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Legal Requirements

• Smoking or other use of tobacco products is not permitted anywhere on our campuses. Baptist hospital campuses are designated as tobacco-free.
• Visitors are not limited or denied visitation rights on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin.
• For visiting purposes, “family” means any person who plays a significant role in an individual's life such as spouses, domestic partners/civil unions, significant others (of both different and the same sex) and other individuals not legally related to the patient, but deemed as family by the patient. "Family" also includes a minor patient's parents, regardless of the gender of either parent.
• Food and beverages are available in the hospital cafeteria and vending areas. We ask that all visitors please eat only in the hospital dining room or in patient rooms. Eating and drinking is not allowed in corridors or lobby areas. All food and beverages must be covered while being transported through the hospital.

Nondiscrimination Policy

In accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, Baptist Memorial Health Care, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, admits and treats all persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, disability or national origin in its provision of services and benefits, including assignments or transfers within the facility and referrals to or from the facility. Staff privileges are granted without regard to race, color or national origin.