Visitor Policy

Understanding Our Updated Visitor Policy

We understand how important visits by family and friends are to our patients' overall well-being and recovery. This visitor policy at Emory Healthcare allows visitors to support patients while they are in the hospital and ensures we can meet the safety standards required in a health care setting. We are committed to providing our patients with a safe, quiet, and restful environment. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to ensure the best possible care for your loved ones.

Visiting Patients

Visiting PatientsAt Emory Healthcare, every patient has the right to choose who can visit them during their stay. This can include family members, friends, a spouse, a domestic partner (including same-sex partners), or others to provide emotional support. Visitors are welcome as long as their presence doesn’t affect the safety, rights, or care of others. Please see the section below for more information about visitors and designated essential caregivers.

Patients can change their minds about who is allowed to visit them or say no to visits at any time. Visitors don’t need to be legally related to the patient and will have the same visiting privileges as immediate family members. We’re here to make your stay as supportive and comfortable as possible.

Visitation Guidance

We support a respectful, healing environment for our patients, visitors and care teams. In addition to regular visitors, patients are allowed 24-hour access to a designated essential caregiver. This caregiver is at the patient’s choosing, must be an adult, and can stay with the patient overnight. To support our patients’ healing, visitors may be limited due to patient care or safety. Ask your nurse or Guest Services about any specific instructions for your facility or unit.

  • Minors: Visitors under 12 years of age may be limited from certain units, isolation patient rooms and other patient care areas for safety and infection prevention reasons. All minors under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult other than the patient. 
  • Hospitalized Patients: Two visitors are allowed at a time, in addition to the designated essential caregiver. Additional guests are welcome at the discretion of the care team and if safety permits.
  • Hospital Surgery and Procedures: Visitors are allowed but may be limited due to space constraints.
  • Ambulatory Surgery Centers: Visitors are allowed but may be limited due to space constraints.
  • Imaging Tests and Procedures: Visitors are allowed but may be limited due to space constraints.
  • Outpatient Appointments (including Winship and Lab): Visitors are allowed but may be limited due to space constraints.
  • Emergency Department: Restricted to one visitor throughout the visit for adult patients. If the patient is a minor, two designated essential caregivers are permitted.
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation and Long Term Acute Care settings: Restricted to two visitors at one time and all visitors must be over the age of 12. Minor visitors between the ages of 12 and 16 must be with an adult other than the patient.
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Nurseries: The patient or parent decides who is allowed to visit. Visitation is limited to two visitors at the bedside at a time.
  • Inpatient Obstetrics/ Labor and Delivery: In addition to the designated essential caregiver, three adult visitors are welcome. Siblings under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult but are not included in the visitor count.
  • End of Life/Hospice: Our care teams will work with the patient and family to meet the emotional support needs during this time. 

If you have questions, please contact a hospital staff member or nurse caring for your patient.

These guidelines may change in a public health emergency or at Emory Healthcare’s discretion. Emory Healthcare prohibits discrimination of any staff member, provider, patient, visitor, designated essential caregiver or any other individual based on gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, language, culture, cultural beliefs, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or payment source.

Resources for Visitors and Patients

Interpretation Services
LGBTQIA Resources
Patient Resources
Visitor Resources

Masking Guidelines

Emory Healthcare's current masking guidelines are as follows: 

  • Public Areas: Masks are  optional in many public areas of Emory Healthcare's hospitals and clinics (including nursing stations, waiting rooms, lobbies, hallways and elevators) for all employees/providers, patients, care partners, and visitors.
  • Outpatient & Ambulatory Areas: Masks are optional for team members providing direct patient care in the ambulatory setting except for those working in high-risk areas.
  • Inpatient and Emergency Department patient rooms: Masks are required during direct patient contact by all employees and providers.

In any setting, anyone who wishes to wear a mask should do so, and we respect those choices. If you are experiencing any COVID-like symptoms (even if you have received a negative test), please wear a medical-grade mask to protect those around you.

Masks are required in the following situations:

  • All employees/providers, patients, designated essential caregivers and visitors if they have symptoms of a respiratory illness.
  • All employees/providers, patients, designated essential caregivers and visitors in areas that care for patients who are immunocompromised or are otherwise at increased risk of COVID and/or severe disease. These are determined and posted by each patient care area. Updated signage will be posted once available.

 

Georgia No Patient Left Alone Act

The Georgia General Assembly passed the No Patient Left Alone Act (House Bill 663), which was made effective on July 1, 2024. This legislation establishes visitation rights for individuals admitted to hospitals and long-term care facilities.