Maternity Visiting Guidelines
Updated September 5, 2023
Directrices para las visitas de maternidad
Holy Cross Health acknowledges that family members and visitors are integral to patients' physical and emotional well-being. This policy aims to create visitor guidelines that support relationship-centered care while providing a restful healing environment for all patients.
Effective Monday, February 28, Holy Cross Health will welcome additional visitors throughout our hospitals and offsite care locations, with a few exceptions. All visitors must wear a mask throughout our facilities and will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms when entering our hospitals. For those who don’t have a mask, we will gladly provide one.
Visitors must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- Either immediate family members, powers of attorney, guardians, or patient representatives.
- Healthy with no symptoms of illness including no respiratory or fever symptoms, upon arrival at the hospital and thereafter.
- Wearing a mask and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), as requested.
Patient Resources
All Patients
Patients with Disabilities and Support Persons
Visitor Guidance
- Emergency Department Pediatric Patients (Up to Age 17)
- Maximum of two visitors per patient upon approval of department manager or designee.
- Acute and Critical Care Inpatients
- Maximum two visitors per patient (one can be a child 12 or older if accompanied by an adult).
- Surgical and Procedural Patients
- Maximum two visitors per patient (one can be a child 12 or older if accompanied by an adult).
- Emergency Department Adult Patients (Age 18 or Older)
- One adult visitor per patient.
- Acute and Critical Care Inpatients
- One adult visitor per patient.
- Outpatient / Ambulatory and OB Clinic Patients
- One adult visitor per patient.
Maternity Visiting Guidelines
Triage
During the triage process at Holy Cross Hospital or Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, you may have one visitor with you in the patient care area. Visitors under the age of 18 are not permitted at this time.
Labor, Delivery, and Recovery (LDR) Room
Cesarean Birth
Expectant mothers may designate one adult support person to be with them for a Cesarean birth and in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit after a Cesarean birth.
Maternity Suites and Pediatrics – 4th and 8th floors (Silver Spring), 3rd floor (Germantown)
One banded visitor may be present 24 hours / 7 days a week. Two banded visitors are permitted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Up to two Friends and Family (children and non-banded visitors) are welcome from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a max of four visitors permitted in a patient room at a time (the two banded visitors and the two children or non-banded visitors) unless public health considerations do not permit children as determined by the hospital. One adult visitor may stay overnight during designated quiet hours.
High-Risk Perinatal Center and Antepartum Unit
For postpartum, high-risk perinatal, and pediatric units, one banded visitor may be present 24 hours / 7 days a week. Two banded visitors are permitted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friends and Family (children and non-banded visitors) are welcome from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Max of two visitors are permitted in a patient room at a time.
Neonatal Units
Banded visitors to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may come at any time, but are asked not to visit during nursing shift change periods (6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.). One additional “special pass” may be requested by NICU banded visitors.
*Additional visitor restrictions may apply and exceptions granted for legally authorized support persons to accompany, visit, or stay with patients who have a disability.