Updated: Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Planning Your Visit To Chester County Hospital
We understand that visits from family members and friends are an important part of the healing process. Please review these Visitation Guidelines in detail before coming to see your loved ones. You should expect a safe and compassionate environment at Chester County Hospital.
Visiting Hours
Hospital visiting hours are from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM seven days a week for persons 12 years and older. However, please review Department-specific Guidelines which follow.
General Guidelines for all Visitors/Support Persons
- Number of Visitors: The number of visitors is dependent on the needs and comfort of the patient. Nursing staff and/or the clinical team may limit the number of visitors if it is disruptive to the healing environment.
- If a visitor is under 16 years of age, they must be accompanied by an adult and remain with that visiting adult. Visitors between 12 and 15 years may not be left unattended or left with a patient.
- Visitor identification: All Visitors must check in at the Main Entrance to confirm their destination and receive a day-specific Visitor Band.
- Exceptions: May be made with managerial approval in the department in certain circumstances.
- Code of Conduct: We are committed to taking great care of your loved ones. In order to do that our teams need to be treated with respect. Disruptive behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Behavior that creates a risk to patients, families, or staff may lead to the immediate restriction of visitation. .
Masks
Masking is optional, with some important exceptions. Please review the specific Guidelines below;
Masking is REQUIRED for patients, visitors, and employees providing direct care in the following:
- Emergency Department waiting rooms
- Dedicated Oncology, Radiation Oncology and Transplant clinics
- Infusion Centers
- In the room of an admitted patient with a malignancy, solid organ transplant or other severely immunocompromised condition
- Dedicated inpatient behavioral health units
- Open hemodialysis units
- Any setting or encounter where a patient or family member requests that staff wear a mask
Masking is also REQUIRED when:
- Any patient has respiratory symptoms (both patient and employees must mask)
- Please Note: Visitors who are experiencing respiratory symptoms may not enter any facility, even with a mask.
Please Also Remember:
- If you are not feeling well, please do not visit.
- Always wash your hands before entering and exiting patients' room as well as after using the restroom.
Department-Specific Visitation Guidelines
Emergency Department (ED):
- Upon arrival to the ED, we will make every effort to keep one healthy visitor with your loved one. At times, our waiting room reaches capacity and we may ask family members and support persons to wait in an alternate location until the patient moves into a room. Two healthy support persons can be with their loved one once they move to an ED room.
- Patients with special needs or a neurocognitive disability or behavioral concerns may have one healthy caregiver, parent or guardian remain with them.
- Pediatric Visitation: One family member or guardian should stay with the pediatric patient (17 years and under) until they are placed in a treatment room. Once the patient is in a room, two family members/guardians may stay.
- The hours of visitation in the Emergency Department are not restricted.
Radiation Oncology:
- Patients may have one visitor at a time.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older.
General Inpatient Units:
- Hospital visiting hours are from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM seven days a week for persons 12 years and older, except where noted otherwise.
- Number of Visitors: The number of visitors is dependent on the needs and comfort of the patient. Nursing staff and/or medical team may limit the number of visitors if it is disruptive to the healing environment.
- Visitors between 12 and 15 years may not be left unattended or left with a patient.
- If there is an issue or question as to whether a visitor may come into the hospital, the Nurse Manager (or designee) with be contacted. If a consensus is unable to be reached, the decision should be escalated to the CMO or CNO.
- Visitor Identification: All Visitors must check in at the Main Entrance to confirm their destination and receive a day-specific Visitor Band.
- Exceptions: Managers may approve exceptions in certain circumstances within departments.
Maternal Child Services:
- Antepartum/PP Readmission: Patients may have three adult visitors. Children of patient may visit with supervision M-F 4 PM -8 PM, Sat/Sun 11 AM-1 PM and 4 PM - 8 PM.
- Labor & Delivery: Patients may have three adult visitors (doula not included), no switching, no children during labor.
- Maternity: Patients may have three adult visitors, including the support person. The unit will have Quiet Time every day from 2 PM - 4 PM; therefore no visitors besides the support person during that time. Siblings (although exceptions can be arranged), are welcome M-F 4 PM - 8 PM, Sat/Sun 11 AM -1 PM and 4 PM - 8 PM.
- NICU: Patients may have two visitors at a time. The parent/support person for the NICU patient will not need banding daily at the Front Door as they will have been issued an identifying bracelet from the NICU. A parent/support person who has a bracelet must accompany any adult visitor.
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine (Outpatient Site): One adult visitor may accompany the patient. They may bring a child if needed but the child must remain with an adult at all times/be in a stroller if of appropriate age.
- OB Clinic: No restrictions.
- Pediatrics: Patients may have three visitors at a time. An adult must accompany visitors under the age 16. Two parents or support person(s) over the age of 18 are welcome to spend the night with the patient.
Cardiology/Surgical Services/Catheterization & EP Prep/Recovery, ACC and Prep/Recovery:
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. There may be no more than two visitors at patient’s bedside at a time. Exceptions may be made.
COVID Patients
Visitor guidelines for COVID patients are as follows:
- One caregiver or visitor and one alternate individual may be able to visit throughout the hospital stay
- These two designated people are the only two visitors allowed throughout the entire hospital stay.
- Only one of the two designated individuals, either the main caregiver or visitor or the alternate may visit on any given day, but not both.
- All visitation should be arranged in advance with the nursing staff on the nursing units caring for the COVID patients. For some patients undergoing specific treatments, visitation may not be allowed.
- End of life: Exceptions at the unit level may be made on these occasions and ideally in advance.
- The visitor for a COVID patient must put on full Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) including gown, gloves, medical mask, eye protection/face shield when they reach the unit. The visitor will be instructed that they may not remove the PPE while in the patient’s room for the safety of themselves and their family. The visitor will need to leave if they are observed removing PPE.