Methodist Hospital Visiting Hours and Policy

Hospital and Facility Visitor Policies

EFFECTIVE April 3, 2022:

Masking

Masks are not required for Methodist Health System patients, visitors and health care staff in public or patient care settings, regardless of vaccination status (COVID-19 and/or influenza). This includes Methodist acute care hospitals, ambulatory venues and home health locations.

Please note:

• Individuals may choose to continue to wear masks.
• Regulatory mandates will supersede any relaxation in masking requirements.
• All staff and providers who are asked by a patient to wear a mask are expected to do so.
• This does not apply to masking requirements for other purposes, including patients, staff and visitors in respiratory/droplet/airborne isolation and employee health return-to-work requirements.

Visitors and Support Persons

Cancer Center:

• There are no restrictions on the number of support persons allowed to accompany a patient at Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center, Hospital-Owned Clinics and Outpatient Diagnostics.

Hospitals:

• There are no restrictions on the number of visitors for patients during regular visiting hours.
• In Surgical Care Settings, two support persons are permitted in the waiting areas during regular visiting hours at hospital locations.

Emergency Departments:

• The Emergency Department (ED) allows up to two visitors/support persons to stay with an ED patient. Additional visitor restrictions may apply, as determined by the patient care team. 

Critical Care and Other Specialty Units:

• Critical care and other specialty units may have additional visitor-specific guidelines.

Additional Information

• Patients receiving end-of-life care as determined by the care team are an exception to the policies above.
• Additional exceptions may be discussed with the facility's administrative personnel or infection prevention experts.
• It is the expectation that family and visitors are free of communicable diseases and comply with infection control regulations and other Methodist Health System policies and procedures.
• Family or visitor presence may be limited during times of seasonal and/or transmissible illness in the community