Visiting Hours and Policies

Eisenhower Health welcomes visitors to see patients. Our number one priority is to keep our patients, visitors and hospital community safe while maintaining high-quality care. Eisenhower promotes and supports a patient and family centered approach to care. The patient has the right to visitation while under the care, treatment, and service of the organization.

Eisenhower's Chief Nursing Officer/Vice President of Health Care Services, in conjunction with the Chair of Infection and Infection Preventionist, has the authority to restrict or change facility visitation during outbreaks, whether these originate in Eisenhower or the community.

The organization may impose Justified Clinical Restrictions on a patient’s visitation when visitation would interfere with the care of the patient and/or the care of other patients. Circumstances reasonably related to the care of the patient and/or the care of other patients that provide a basis to impose restrictions or limitations on visitors include (but are not limited to) when:

• There may be infection prevention issues;
• Visitation may interfere with the care of other patients;
• The hospital is aware that there is an existing court order restricting contact;
• Visitors engage in disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior of any kind;
• The patient or patient's roommate(s) need rest or privacy;
• The patient is undergoing care interventions; or
• Visitation is otherwise clinically contraindicated.

The organization may limit the number of visitors for any one patient during a specific period of time, as well as establish minimum age requirements for child visitors when reasonably necessary to provide safe care.

The patient shall be informed of the reason for any restriction or limitation of visitors.

Required Visitor's Pass

All visitors allowed access to the hospital must wear a visitor's pass. The tag must remain visible at all times.

• All visitors will be escorted to and from the Family Birth Center (LDRP & NICU).

Equal Visitation Policy

Patients may designate and receive visitors of their choosing. There is no restriction, limitation or otherwise denial of visitation privileges based on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Visitation Guidelines

Families and Support Persons are welcome 24 hours a day according to patient preference.

All hospital staff and clinicians encourage families and support persons to be involved and supportive of the patient according to patient preference. They recognize and reinforce that families/support persons are integral to patient safety, comfort, medical and psychological well-being, and the healing process.

Limiting Visitation in Specific Care Settings

The number of visitors and length of visitation may be limited in specific care settings such as intensive care units and post-operative/invasive recovery areas due to the critical nature of a patient’s illness and the level of required medical care.

General visitor access to areas where pediatric patients are housed may be limited due to security concerns and the need to protect these vulnerable populations from abduction.

Due to care and safety concerns, visitation is not permitted during the performance of operative, invasive, or other high-risk procedures. To protect patient privacy, visitation is generally not permitted when a patient is receiving personal care such as toileting, bathing, etc.

Eisenhower Family Birth Center

1. All family members, partners in care and patient visitors must check in a the ID Badging Station at the Welcome/Information Desk in the main lobby area of the hospital to register and receive a Visitor's Badge.
2. All patient visitors will be escorted to the Family Birth Center.
3. Visitation will be limited to three visitors at a time.
4. Effective April 1, 2024 newborn's siblings (in good health)will be allowed to visit as long as they are being cared for by an adult 18 years of age or older, other than the laboring parent. Children are not permitted to visit patients in isolation.
5. No symptomatic person(s) will be allowed an ANY time.
6. Family members, partners in care, and patient visitors will notify a staff member immediately if they have any exposure to chickenpox, mumps, or measles or if they have flu-like symptoms.
7. Family members, partners in care, and patient visitors will present identification upon request (band numbers and letters, driver's license).

LDRP

• Visitation is flexible and individualized according to patient's condition and needs.
• Patients in labor may have two support persons present at the bedside.
• In addition to the support person(s), a doula, if desired by the patient, is permitted to be present if prior arrangements have been made with the hospital and the doula has complied with required guidelines.
• Once the patient delivers, visitation is limited to three visitors at a time.

NICU

• As active members of the caregiving team, parent are welcomed at their baby's (babies) bedside any time day or night.
• Parents are encouraged to participate in the decision-making process related to the care and interventions of their baby (babies) as early as possible.
• There will be limited visitation in the NICU during the flu season (November through April) of any minors.
• Families may be asked to leave a NICU room if a procedure or surgery is being performed in the room that necessitates patient privacy and safety.

Critical Care Units

Patient visitation is from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. to midnight. Visitation is flexible and individualized according to the needs of patients. Children ages 14 to 18, under the supervision of an adult, may visit at the discretion of the nurse. Younger children, accompanied by an adult, may visit under certain situations at the discretion of the nurse. It is the goal of the critical care department to prevent infections that may compromise patients or children. More detailed information is provided in the Intensive Care Units Family Resource Guide.

Peri-anesthesia Services (pre-op/post-op/recovery areas)

Family members are not routinely allowed in the acute recovery areas. In pre-op areas, generally one person is allowed. To maintain patient confidentiality and for infection prevention, the number of family members at the patient's bedside at any one time will be determined at the discretion of the nurse.

Special Considerations

There may be unique and extenuating circumstances (i.e., imminent death, impending surgery, etc.) that require compassionate exceptions to these guidelines. The registered nurse and the health care team, using professional judgment and in collaboration with the patient or the patient’s designated representative, will consider the unique family circumstances and patient needs when applying these guidelines. In these circumstances, to the greatest extent feasible, family will be allowed brief visits.