Visiting Hours
Promoting caring connections between patients and their support systems improves the quality of the hospital experience. Involving family and friends whenever possible is vital to good health. We encourage family and friends to become partners in the patient’s care when they are in the hospital and at home after discharge. Family and significant others are encouraged to visit at all times as long as the patient’s condition and patient and/or physician request allows.
If you are unable to visit a patient personally, you may call the patient or send a card or gift.
Number of Visitors
As a courtesy and in respect for patient privacy, the number of visitors in a semi private room may need to be limited to two visitors at a time.
Food and Beverages
Families are encouraged to bring patients home cooked foods or special treats. Please check with the nursing staff before sharing food from home.
Children
Children are welcome to visit. Visitation by children under the age of 17 will be at the discretion of the parent/legal guardian, patient, and/or physician. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Clergy
Members of the clergy are welcome to visit patients who are members of their particular religious group at any time at the discretion of the unit physicians or nurses.
Exceptions
For the health and well-being of a patient, the attending physician may limit, restrict, or deny visitation. We apologize for any inconvenience when this occurs, and appreciate your understanding that it may be medically necessary.
VA General Visitation Policy
The medical center respects the patient's right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient's family in care, treatment, and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker. "Family" is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood, or adoptive, martial, domestic partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or caregiver) whom the individual considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the individual, should he or she lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another. The medical center allows a family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence infringes on other's rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized representative. The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
