Visitation Guidelines

Grant Memorial Hospital welcomes visitors. We understand that family and friends provide crucial support and control for patients. For the well-being of our patients, we ask that you observe the following guidelines:

• One visitor is permitted to be with the patient for emotional support during the patient’s hospital stay or outpatient visit.
• Staff may restrict visits if medically necessary. Ambulatory patients may also visit with guests in the waiting rooms located on each nursing unit or in lobby areas.
• No more than two guests should be in a patient room at one time.
• At the discretion of the registered nurse or physician, an overnight visitor may be allowed to stay with the patient. Overnight visitors are not permitted to stay in waiting rooms or lobby areas.
• Children under the age of 18 are prohibited from staying overnight with the patient.
• Children under the age of 12 are discouraged from visiting the hospital and must be accompanied by someone over 18 years of age.

In some instances, it is necessary to restrict access to diagnostic and therapeutic procedure areas for health and safety reasons. If staff members decide to restrict visitation, the patient will receive an explanation. When possible, the patient is included in the decision.

Special restrictions apply to visitors in the Mother Infant Care Center (presented to the patient upon admission) to allow the patient to rest and new families to bond. Restrictions also apply to the Special Care Unit and are posted. All other visitors are permitted on the nursing units during published visiting hours for that unit.

Grant Memorial Hospital will not restrict general visitation, but at times there may be a clinically reasonable basis to do so. This may include:

• Disruptive, threatening, or violent behavior
• Existing court order restricting contact
• Infection control issues
• Patient’s need for rest
• Privacy and limiting the number of visitors due to overcrowding.

All patients and visitors are expected to abide by the WVUHS Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct.

To contact a patient who has been admitted to the hospital, call 304-257-1026 and enter the extension for the patient’s room. If you do not know the extension, please follow the prompts to get to the correct patient wing and then the nurse’s desk can transfer your call.

Please note that patients must request to have phone calls transferred before any transfer can occur. If a patient has requested to be excluded from the census, no information may be released and calls will not be transferred.

Visitors may use personal mobile devices in all areas of Grant Memorial Hospital, unless restricted by specific unit policies. Visitors may photograph the patient and family members; however, taking photographs of other patients, visitors, and staff is strictly prohibited.