Hospital & Clinic Visitor Guidelines

Essentia Health recognizes that family involvement is an essential component of total patient care and encourages visits of family and friends. However, since many patients, particularly those in the specialty units, are highly susceptible to certain communicable disease, and because their exposure to such disease may have serious consequences, visitation guidelines are to be followed.

Guidelines for all Facilities

Masking Required

Everyone who enters an Essentia Health facility must be masked at all times. Essentia Health continues to follow the Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidelines, which requires masking in health care facilities.

We ask that you please come with your own mask. We recommend surgical masks over cloth masks. Surgical masks have been shown to provide better protection. If you don't have your own, we will provide one.

Learn more important information from the CDC about face coverings.

COVID-19 screening

Patients and visitors will be asked to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms upon entry.

Food and beverages

Patients and visitors may not bring outside food and beverages into Essentia Health facilities.

Space for visitors may be limited

Some departments/units may need to limit visitors at this time due to space limitations.

Guidelines & Restrictions for Hospitals

Essentia Health Hospitals have implemented guidelines and restrictions to keep patients and visitors safe. Some specific hospitals or units may implement visitor restrictions as needed based on the current situation, and those restrictions may not be reflected below.

Guidelines

  • Emergency Department:
    • Two adult visitors per patient per day.
    • When emergencies happen and it is not possible to leave children at home, visitors under 18 allowed.
    • Two visitors allowed per pediatric patient per day.
  • Hospital-based Outpatient Clinic:
    • Two adult visitors per patient per day.
  • Adult Inpatient:
    • Two adult visitors per patient per day.
    • No visitors under age 18 unless visiting an immediate family member who is dying and escorted by an adult.
  • Pediatric Inpatient:
    • Two visitors per patient 24/7.
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Units:
    • Two visitors per patient 24/7.
  • Labor and Delivery:
    • Two adult visitors per patient per day, in addition to the birth partner who is considered a Care Partner.
    • A certified doula is also allowed to be present and will not be considered a visitor.
  • End of Life:
    • Two visitors at a time preferred.
    • Additional visitors may be allowed. Not limited to immediate family/significant others.
    • Visitation will be allowed past visitor hours.
    • Decisions related to end of life visitation concerns will be made by unit leadership and patient’s primary physician.
  • Inpatient Psychiatric Units:
    • Visitation is not allowed due to the group therapy setting.
  • Surgical/Procedural:
    • Two adult visitors pre and post procedural may accompany patient to pre-post procedure space, they may wait in hospital designated space.
    • Two visitors permitted for pediatric surgical/procedural patients.
    • Two visitors may accompany patient to pre-post procedure space, they may wait in hospital designated space.

Visitation Hours

  • General visitation hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • When visitors are care partners, visitation is allowed 24/7. 

Guidelines & Restrictions for Clinics

No restrictions at this time. 

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