For Visiting Clergy

We welcome clergy to visit patients at Strong Memorial Hospital and Golisano Children's Hospital. Your visit helps patients in your congregational family to feel connected and cared for while away from home. To make your visit as effective as possible, please review the parking information and our patient visitation guidelines below.

Photo ID and Parking

You can download the Clergy Parking Identification Badge Application Form and bring it in person to the Chaplaincy Services Department on the first floor, with the annual fee of $10. Please make your check payable to SMH. You will be given a photo ID designating you as a visiting clergy, as well as a parking decal for your vehicle.

Patient Visitation Guidelines

Patient Privacy

To ensure the comfort and privacy of our patients, we ask that you review and follow our patient privacy guidelines:

Visit only patients in your congregational family.
Any information regarding a patient must come from the patient or family of the patient.
Be considerate of the rights of patients and hospital staff by treating them with courtesy and respect and assisting with the control of noise and the number of visitors.
Be respectful of the property of other persons and of the hospital.
Please do not leave religious material of any kind in any areas of the hospital other than with the patient whom you are visiting. To do so is a violation of hospital policy.

Health Protection Guidelines

To protect your own health and to support the recovery process of the patient you are visiting, please:

Do not visit patients if you are not feeling well or have an illness that could be transferred to patients.
Always wash your hands before and after visiting each patient. There may be additional scrubbing instructions for very sensitive hospital units.
Never give any patient any medication, or anything the patient may ingest, from outside the hospital without medical staff approval.
Observe all posted notices on the patient's room door.
Allow the health care staff to do their work. The patient depends on them too. If asked to wait outside, please keep the corridors clear.
Patients may be sensitive to strong scents (perfume, after shave, etc.).

General Guidelines and Hospital Policies

Please check in with the unit secretary before visiting patients.
Observe hospital unit visiting hours. Each hospital unit may have different guidelines.
No fresh flowers or fruit are allowed in the Intensive Care Units.
Some areas of the hospital prohibit the use of cellular phones because they may interfere with monitoring equipment. Please check with hospital staff before using your cell phone.