Visiting Guidelines

UPDATE (6-29-2020):

Screening employees, patients, physicians, and visitors by temperature checks and masking will continue at entrances. Employees, patients, physicians and visitors will continue wearing masks appropriately throughout their time at the facility.

PLEASE NOTE: For patients that have cognitive or communicative disabilities or issues, a support person will be allowed to accompany the patient throughout their stay, whether inpatient or outpatient, according to the qualifiers outlined by the Office for Civil Rights.  (Please call the Care Line or Administrative Nursing Supervisors when this situation arises)

INPATIENT

  • Visiting hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week
  • 1 visitor per day per patient. Must be 18 or older
  • The only entrance for inpatient visitation is through the main entrance of the hospital. All discharges, except those from the Women’s Center, will continue to come through the Heart & Vascular Institute. Women’s Center patients will take the Women’s Center elevators to the first floor and will be discharged through the left-hand side door.
  • Urgent visitation needs for changes in a patient’s status, as deemed by a physician, can be for up to 4 family members.
  • For inpatients having surgery, 1 visitor may come in and see the patient before surgery and stay until visiting hours end at 6 p.m.
  • Overnight stays are permitted on a case-by-case basis.
    • If the visitor leaves, they will not be permitted back in until regular visiting hours.

OUTPATIENT/SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES

  • 1 visitor is permitted if they arrive with the patient at the time of the scheduled procedure/surgery.
    • Visitors must stay in the facility. If they leave the facility, they will not be permitted re-entry. The visitor will need to return when the surgery/procedure is completed to pick up the patient. 

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

1 visitor allowed per patient, and they must be 18 or older.

WOMEN’S CENTER

  • Labor & Delivery/Post-Partum/GYN Surgery: 1 support person per day.
  • NICU visitation is from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Extenuating circumstances that need to occur outside of these regular hours will be decided on a case-by-case basis

AFTER-HOURS GUIDELINES (6 p.m. to 10 a.m.)

If the patient is admitted to the hospital as a Direct Admit or an admission from the Emergency Department, then the visitors may stay in the room for up to 1 hour once the patient is placed in an inpatient room.

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS

Patients on precautions for infectious diseases

  • Visitation will be allowed for patients under special precautions as deemed clinically appropriate by nursing services, and only 1 visitor is allowed for 1 hour.
  • Upon speaking with the patient and identifying the support person, the nursing staff will arrange what time the visitor will visit and let the screening desk know the person’s name and time of visit. 
    • Screeners will confirm the patient’s status (verify patient admission, verify patient precaution status) before the visitor enters.

ENTRANCES

Main Campus

Main Lobby: Inpatient Visitors, Patient Appointments, Women’s Center Discharges

Heart & Vascular Institute: HVI patient appointments

Outpatient Center: Outpatient diagnostic and laboratory appointments

Day Surgery: Day Surgery Patients

Summerville

Emergency Room: Visitors, Patient Appointments and Employees

McDuffie

Emergency Room: Visitors, Patient Appointments and Employees