Visiting Hours and Policies
Flu Restrictions
To protect our patients, we must manage their exposure to illnesses that are easily spread, like the flu. Please adhere to the following guidelines:
- No more than two (2) visitors plus one (1) designated caregiver/support person may be present in a patient’s room at any time
- No one under the age of 12 visits the hospital, including siblings
- Postpone your visit if you have a fever, cough, body aches, or a sore throat—wait until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours to return to the hospital.
Visitor restrictions are put in place to help prevent patients from getting the flu while in the hospital, which could extend the length of the patient’s stay and/or impact their treatment or healing. Community influenza rates will be monitored carefully so that we may lift restrictions as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
Masking Guidelines
Masking is encouraged for patients and visitors, and masks will be provided on request. In some areas where patients may be especially vulnerable, such as the Wilmot Cancer Center tower and select outpatient infusion centers and clinical areas, everyone is required to mask in all patient and public areas. Please adhere to signage in those areas and/or staff requests for you to mask.
Visiting Hours & Rules
8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- Parent/Guardian must be present for visitors to be allowed up to a patient room.
- Parents/guardians can choose support people who may visit when the parents are not there. These people will be added to the visitor list in the medical record.
- Visitors under the age of 18 years old may be allowed to visit, if approved by the parent/guardian and an adult is present. In our intensive care units, visitors who are not siblings, must be 12 years old or older.
- All visitors will get a badge at the GCH Guest Services desk, This badge needs to be worn at all times. For safety reasons, visitors must show photo identification.
- 4 visitors at the bedside at a time.
- At the discretion of the treatment team or unit leadership, we may request a limitation of 2 people at the bedside
- Up to 2 parents/guardians may stay overnight depending on the unit. On some units, like the NICU and Pediatric Surgical Center, sleeping accommodation will be provided for one parent. Please check with unit leadership.
Siblings of Patients
- Siblings are not permitted to visit in the Pediatric Surgical Center
- General Care – siblings may visit during visiting hours
- ICUs (NICU, PICU, PCCC) – See the guidelines for the NICU, PICU & PCCC
- No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to spend the night unless they are the patient’s parent.
NICU Visitation
Read all the NICU visitation guidleines.PICU & PCCC Visitation
Read all the PICU & PCCC visitation guidleines.Pediatric Emergency Department
2 parents/guardians at a time with the patient, when volume and safety within the department permit.
Pediatric Surgical Center
- Two parents or guardians are allowed at bedside during the child’s visit.
- No sibling visitors under the age of 18 years old are permitted. If you have childcare needs, please inquire about the sibling clubhouse when you receive your pre-op phone call.
- Any additional visitors must wait in the GCH lobby waiting room and are not permitted to the Pediatric Surgical Center waiting room. We do not allow switching visitors throughout the patient’s stay in the Pediatric Surgical Center.
- One parent is allowed overnight for boarder patients.