Visitor guidelines
Visitor guidelines
Hospital and clinic visitor guidelines
As of January 11, 2022, visitor status is red.
To protect the health and safety of our patients and care teams, Allina Health has updated our visitor guidelines.
As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19, the visitor guidelines will be updated as needed to help keep patients, staff and you safe. Check back often for the most current guidelines. More information and any exceptions to these updated guidelines are explained below.
Visitor guidelines (for limited exceptions listed below)
If you qualify for a visitor exception, these guidelines must be followed:
- You will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and must pass the screening in order to be allowed to visit or accompany a patient.
- If you leave the building, you must show your screening sticker and you may be asked to be re-screened to re-enter.
- You must wear a mask (regardless of vaccination status), visitor badge, and screening sticker at all times.
- You may be asked to wear additional personal protective equipment (PPE).
- You must follow all additional protocols requested by staff to include but not limited to: hand hygiene, physical distancing, stepping outside room or waiting room as needed and anything else requested by staff. If the waiting room is full, visitors may be asked to wait outside the building.
- Children ages 5-17, when allowed to visit, must be from the same household as the patient and accompanied by an adult who is not the patient, with the following exceptions:
- Minor parents of a child who is a patient are permitted to accompany the patient.
- Exceptions may be considered in the outpatient clinic setting if no adult caregiver is available to supervise a patient who is a minor child.
- Visitors under age 5 will only be allowed under a Compassionate Exception.
- Exceptions may be considered for antepartum patients.
- Must adhere to hospital visiting hours including no overnight stays
Policy statement
Allina Health values the philosophy that family presence is important for patients and meeting the needs of families is crucial to providing holistic care. Allina Health will not restrict, limit or otherwise deny visiting privileges on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, language, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation or physical/mental disability. The length and frequency of visits are based on the patient’s privacy needs, preference and physical condition.
These are the limited exceptions for visitors while in RED status.
Red status:
No visitors are allowed for patients staying in the hospital for a treatment, surgery or procedure.
The following are the exceptions to this guideline:
- Patients under the age of 18
- Newborns
- Labor and Delivery
- Patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
- Compassionate care as conditions allow
Important: Patients who have COVID-19 may not have visitors. Exceptions may be made for:
- Patients under the age of 18
- Labor and delivery patients
- Patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
- Compassionate care as conditions allow
Red status:
No visitors are allowed for patients in the hospital for same-day procedures or treatment.The following exceptions to this guideline allow one visitor for:
- Patients under the age of 18
- Trauma or Critical Care patients
- Patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
- Compassionate care are conditions allow
Red status:
No visitors are allowed for patients in emergency department.
The following exceptions to this guideline allow one visitor for:
- Patients under the age of 18
- Trauma or Critical Care patients
- Patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
- Compassionate care as conditions allow
Red status:
One support person is allowed per hospital stay. This includes triage, labor, delivery, and partum and post-partum areas. In addition to one support person, a trained doula will be allowed for support during labor and delivery. Note: Doulas are not permitted for COVID-19 positive or symptomatic patients.
Newborns: No visitors other than parents, guardians, primary caretakers, or intended parents in surrogate birth except with a compassionate care exception.
Also see The Mother Baby Center's visiting guidelines and frequently asked questions.
Red status:
Compassionate care exceptions are made for patients who:
- are actively dying
- have sudden decline in medical condition
- are having surgery
Case-by-case exceptions are made in consultation with the patient's care team.
Red status:
No visitors are allowed for patients receiving mental health care.
The following are exceptions to this guideline:
- Child and adolescent patients: One parent or legal guardian will be allowed.
- Patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
Red status:
A caregiver may need to help when a patient is ready to go home. Discharge planning is important to maintain patient safety.
- One visitor for each patient is allowed to help with the discharge process.
- The patient care manager or designee can help decide which caregiver can visit and when is the best time for the visit.
- In most cases, discharge planning happens on the day the patient is going home.
- If family/support person is unable to be physically present, virtual options will be considered.
Red status:
No visitors are allowed for patients during clinic appointments.
The following are exceptions to this guideline:
- One support person allowed for patients who require assistance of a support person due to an impairment or disability
- A patient younger than age 18 may have one parent or legal guardian visitor.
- Patients who do not need help during an appointment should come alone.
Patients who need a support person
A support person is an adult who is needed to accompany patients with an impairment or disability to participate in discussion and decision-making related to the patient’s treatment. The patient’s care team will make a reasonable accommodation based on the condition and needs of the individual patient.
General guidelines for support persons (inpatient and outpatient settings):
- All support persons will be screened for symptoms consistent with COVID-19. When a support person does not pass the screening an alternative plan should be made to meet the patient’s needs.
- Support persons must follow all visitor protocols while in the facility. If the support person refuses to comply, an alternative plan should be made to meet the patient’s needs. This includes all of the following:
- Must wear a mask at all times, in all facilities, including while in the patient room. Facility staff will provide a mask if the visitor does not have one.
- May be directed to wear additional personal protective equipment. Support persons must wear PPE as directed by staff.
- Must use hand hygiene frequently, and upon request by staff.
- Must maintain physical distancing requirements (6 feet apart and 50% capacity for waiting rooms) while in the facility and must limit the time spent outside of the patient room.
- Must wear a visitor badge and symptoms screening sticker at all times while in the facility. If support persons go outside of the building, for any reason or length of time, they must present their screening sticker or be re-screened upon re-entrance.
Masks required
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all of our patients, visitors and health care workers; we do still require masks be worn at all our locations, regardless of vaccination status.
To learn more about about infection control within health care settings, visit the CDC's Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel page.
You can also learn more about the CDC recommendations for fully-vaccinated individuals and health care environment exceptions.
For family and friends
Here are some additional options for staying connected with a family member or friend when they are in the hospital:
- Take advantage of virtual communication tools as explained in How to Contact a Patient in the Hospital.
- Designate a family spokesperson to serve as the link between the person in the hospital, health care providers, and family, friends and loved ones.
- Ask if the family spokesperson can call the hospital each day for an update to pass along. Ask the hospital what time would be best for a daily phone call.
- Leave the family spokesperson's phone number with the hospital staff in the event your family member or friend has a change in condition.
- Consider using internet-based social media applications like CaringBridge or Facebook to provide timely updates to others.
Allina Health’s patient video conferencing service, Care to Connect, allows you to connect remotely with your family member or friend via video if they don’t have or are unable to use their own internet-enabled device.