Visitor Guidelines

Updated Guidelines

Exception to Visitor Policy
Exceptions to inpatient visitation policy are made on a case-by-case basis by the unit leadership.  All hours and determinations for visitation may be subject to change when Interim Visitor
Policies are in effect due to escalations in Force Health Protection standards or Public Health Emergencies. For palliative/End of Life Care all unit staff will accommodate as many visitors as reasonably possible, to be determined through consultation between the patient, family, nursing staff and/or the attending physician.

Maternal Child Health Visitation Policy:

Please see below for the recent changes to our visitation policy, MCH Section visitation is as follows:

Labor & Delivery TRIAGE: There are no set hours for visitation in the L&D Department. It is recommended that only two (2) visitors are allowed in a laboring patients room at one time. Only siblings, of any age, will be allowed in Labor rooms. Doulas will not count as one of the two visitors.

Labor & Delivery: Only one (1) visitor allowed in the operating room and triage.

WNCU: Visitation hours for WNCU are from 0800-2000hrs. One (1) support person over the age of 18 may spend the night with the patient. Visitation is at the discretion of the patient and nursing staff. Sibling visitors over 12 years of age are allowed to visit COVID-19 negative patients. All children are to be assigned supervision by an adult other than the patient.

NICU: Visitation in the NICU is 24 hours a day with the exception of shift change from 0630-0730 and 1830-1930. Only two (2) visitors are allowed at the bedside at a time, one (1) person must be a parent or banded support person. Sibling visitors must be at least 12 years of age to visit COVID-19 negative newborn patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
During flu and RSV season, typically November through May and during periods of high COVID Community Transmission, children under the age of 18 are not allowed to visit the
NICU.

Pediatric Considerations: Supervision of inpatient minors by one (1) legal guardian is encouraged to always remain with the child to provide supervision.  If a legal guardian cannot stay with the child, they will provide a list of approved adults that can supervise the child.  While nursing staff may support temporary relief of adult supervisors, nursing staff cannot accommodate sustained supervision of minor patients.  The legal guardian is responsible for coordinating adult supervision through the duration of the hospital stay. Before taking siblings to the hospitalized child’s room, the legal guardian is responsible for ensuring the visiting child is not ill using self-evaluation.  Siblings with obvious infectious disease will not be permitted to visit.

Visiting Hours

For most wards at Womack, there are no set visiting hours. The exceptions are listed below. 
WNCU: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
NICU: All hours except during shift change 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Pet Visitation Program

The Womack (WAMC) American Red Cross supports a pet visitation program. Dogs and their handlers may visit patients of WAMC and members of the Fort Liberty Warrior Transition Battalion. The program provides a great resource to aid in the recovery of patients either in a hospital setting or recreational setting.
Handlers must meet requirements to become a Red Cross Volunteer at WAMC, and all dogs participating in the Pet Visitation Program are also registered with the American Red Cross and must be certified through an approved dog therapy training program. 
Pet Visitation Volunteers have great flexibility and may volunteer as their schedule allows, to include: evenings and weekends.
Contact Red Cross Womack to learn more.