• Inpatient visitation is permitted in non-COVID units. Inpatient visitation remains restricted in COVID units and COVID-adjacent units for the safety and well-being of our patients and caregivers. COVID units include the COVID ICU and cohorted units for COVID patients or patients awating COVID test results. Our hospitals have numerous safety features to ensure your loved one receives care in a healthy, healing environment, including specialized HVAC systems to redirect air flow and create negative pressure to contain and prevent the spread of pathogens like a virus. MWHC also employs three full-time infection preventionists and trains all caregivers on the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the protection of both our patients and providers. In this challenging, stressful time, the safety of our patients and caregivers remains our highest priority.
• Visiting hours are from noon-8:00 p.m. daily. Try to limit your visit to under two hours.
• Only one designated visitor allowed for the duration of the patient’s stay, except for pediatric patients (please see Pediatric Unit exceptions in the separate section below) and end-of-life visitation. The patient or their legal representative will determine the identified person who can visit the hospital. The visitor will be logged in our patient record system.
• If you are not the patient’s designated visitor, you can contact your loved one over the phone or with a virtual visit on JitsiMeet. The patient’s care team can help set up the virtual visit.
• There are limited food options for visitors while in the hospital. We recommend to eat before or after your visit. Do not bring food into the hospital.

Arriving at the Hospital

All visitors are required to comply with our safety checkpoint procedures. If you cannot comply with the following safety measures, you cannot have an in-person visit in the hospital.

1. You will be asked questions about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.
2. You will have your temperature taken with an infrared thermometer.
3. You will be given a visitor badge each day you visit. You must always keep the badge on while in the hospital.
4. Limit the items you bring from home to only essential needs and those that can be cleaned with disinfectant wipes. These include phones, tablets, charger, hearing aides, dentures, and glasses. Non-essential items such as flowers, gifts, food, and balloons are not permitted.

During Your Visit

1. You must always wear a mask while in the hospital. Please bring a mask with you. MWHC will supply you with one mask if you do not already have one.
2. Practice social distancing while in the facility. You must stay in the patient’s room and cannot accompany them to tests outside of their room.
3. Practice good handwashing while in the hospital.

• Only one support person per patient for their entire stay. The patient or their legal representative will determine the identified person who can visit the hospital. The visitor will be logged in our patient record system.
• Stay in the patient’s treatment room for your entire visit. You cannot accompany them to tests outside of their room.
• Remember to wash your hands, wear your mask, and display your visitor badge.
• If your loved one is admitted to the hospital, you may accompany them to their room during inpatient visiting hours. If they are admitted outside of visiting hours, you must return during visiting hours.
• There are limited food options for visitors while in the hospital. We recommend to eat before or after your visit. Do not bring food into the hospital.

Arriving at the Emergency Department

All visitors are required to comply with our safety checkpoint procedures. If you cannot comply with the following safety measures, you cannot have an in-person visit.

1. You will be asked questions about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.
2. You will have your temperature taken with an infrared thermometer.
3. You will be given a visitor badge. You must always keep the badge on while in the building.
4. Limit the items you bring from home to only essential needs and those that can be cleaned with disinfectant wipes. These include phones, tablets, charger, hearing aides, dentures, and glasses. Non-essential items such as flowers, gifts, food, and balloons are not permitted.

During Your Visit

1. You must always wear a mask while in the building. Please bring a mask with you. MWHC will supply you with one mask if you do not already have one.
2. Practice social distancing while in the facility. You must stay in the patient’s room and cannot accompany them to tests outside of their room.
3. Practice good handwashing.

One designated support person per laboring mother may accompany her during her entire hospital stay. You will be screened each time you enter the hospital.

Arriving at the Hospital

All visitors are required to comply with our safety checkpoint procedures. If you cannot comply with the following safety measures, you cannot have an in-person visit in the hospital.

1. You will be asked questions about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.
2. You will have your temperature taken with an infrared thermometer.
3. You will be given a visitor badge each day you visit. You must always keep the badge on while in the hospital.
4. Limit the items you bring from home to only essential needs and those that can be cleaned with disinfectant wipes. These include phones, tablets, charger, hearing aides, dentures, and glasses. Non-essential items such as flowers, gifts, food, and balloons are not permitted.

During Your Visit

1. You must always wear a mask while in the hospital. Please bring a mask with you. MWHC will supply you with one mask if you do not already have one.
2. Practice social distancing while in the facility. You must stay in the patient’s room and cannot accompany them to tests outside of their room.
3. Practice good handwashing while in the hospital.

Visitation is limited to one parent/guardian at a time for patients who are minors. Parents/guardians may swap at the patient safety checkpoint located at the main entrance of the hospital. Patients include newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mary Washington Hospital and Intermediate Level Nursery (ILN) at Stafford Hospital, and children in the Pediatric Unit at Mary Washington Hospital.

Visitors to the NICU, ILN and Pediatric Unit are not limited to the noon-8:00 p.m. visitation for other inpatient areas of the hospital. Parents are welcome at any time. Please note that you will be screened each time you enter the hospital.

Arriving at the Hospital

All visitors are required to comply with our safety checkpoint procedures. If you cannot comply with the following safety measures, you cannot have an in-person visit in the hospital.

1. You will be asked questions about COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.
2. You will have your temperature taken with an infrared thermometer.
3. You will be given a visitor badge each day you visit. You must always keep the badge on while in the hospital.
4. Limit the items you bring from home to only essential needs and those that can be cleaned with disinfectant wipes. These include phones, tablets, charger, hearing aides, dentures, and glasses. Non-essential items such as flowers, gifts, food, and balloons are not permitted.

During Your Visit

1. You must always wear a mask while in the hospital. Please bring a mask with you. MWHC will supply you with one mask if you do not already have one.
2. Practice social distancing while in the facility. You must stay in the patient’s room and cannot accompany them to tests outside of their room.
3. Practice good handwashing while in the hospital.

Our outpatient facilities, to include Medical Group practices, labs, Urgent Care, Snowden at Fredericksburg, same-day outpatient surgery, endoscopy, and imaging centers, are still practicing a no visitor policy due to the waiting room space constraints.

Exceptions to this policy:

• Patients with a cognitive or mobility* impairment requiring an aide may have that person accompany them to their appointment.
• Pediatric outpatients may have a parent accompany them at all times.

*Please note that a mobility support person may be asked to wait in their car during the patient's appointment to adhere to social distancing guidelines.