Hospital Visitor Guidelines

Please respect the nurses' instructions as they work to do what is best for both you and your loved one. Under certain circumstances, each patient’s physician or nurse may limit the amount of time and/or number of visitors a patient may have.

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 patients’ rooms.

Bringing a Child to Visit

• A visiting child can be uplifting to a patient in the hospital, but children can also easily tire a patient. Generally, children under 12 are not encouraged to visit patient areas. Exceptions may be granted by the charge nurse, for each individual visit.
• All children must be supervised by an adult. Please do not leave a child alone with the patient. The hospital is a busy place, so please pay close attention to small children.
• Tell your children what to expect. They may feel scared while here visiting your loved one and see and hear things they do not understand.
• Don't let your child crawl on the floors or carpets. We work hard to keep the hospital clean, but children can easily become ill by coming in contact with certain surfaces.

Behavior in Patients’ Rooms

• Family and visitors may stay in a patient’s 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 arrive, 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 of any equipment, power cords, tubing or wires in the room.

Legal Requirements

• Smoking or other use of tobacco products is not permitted anywhere on our campuses. Baptist Memorial 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 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.