Patients & Visitors
Visitor Guidelines
Beginning Wednesday, June 9, 2021, open visitation will be allowed for non-COVID inpatients and outpatients. Please review the guidelines below and note that these are for non-COVID patients only. Visitation for COVID-positive patients is not permitted at this time.
Medical/Surgical Units, Labor & Delivery Unit, Emergency Dept., Outpatient Services and Clinics:
Visitation is now open with the following restrictions:
- A limit of two visitors per patient at any one time
- Hours of visitation extended from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
- Visitors will be required to wear a mask at all times
- Visitors must self-screen for temperature and wash hands with sanitizer upon entry
- Any person exhibiting COVID-19 or COVID-19 like symptoms including fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath) will not be permitted on premise
- Visitors must remain in the patient’s room during their visit (except if dining in the cafeteria)
- Public waiting areas for inpatient units (Med/Surg. & Labor/Delivery) will remain closed
- One visitor will be allowed to stay overnight for inpatient units (Med/Surg. & Labor/Delivery)
Intensive Care and Cardiac Care Units:
Visitation is now open with the following restrictions:
- A limit of two visitors per patient at any one time
- Hours of visitation extend from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- No visitors under the age of 14 will be allowed in the critical care units
- Visitors will be required to wear a mask at all times
- Visitors must self-screen for temperature and wash hands with sanitizer upon entry
- Any person exhibiting COVID-19 or COVID-19 like symptoms (including fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath) will not be permitted on premise
- Visitors must remain in the patient’s room during their visit (except if dining in the cafeteria)
- Public waiting areas for ICU and CCU will remain closed
- No overnight visitation will be permitted
Possible exceptions to the above will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Behavioral Health (West Campus):
- A limit of one visitor per patient at any one time
- Visitors will be required to wear a mask at all times
- Visitors must self-screen for temperature and wash hands with sanitizer upon entry
- Visitation times for each unit are as follows:
- Adult: Monday and Thursday 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
- Adolescent: Wednesday and Friday 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- Chemical Dependency: Saturday and Sunday 2.p.m. - 4 p.m.
- Geriatric: Tuesday and Saturday 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
- Any person exhibiting COVID-19 or COVID-19 like symptoms (including fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath) will not be permitted on premise
- Visitors must remain in the designated visitation area during their visit
Thank you for doing your part to help keep our patients, visitors, staff and community safe by following these guidelines.
At Merit Health River Region, we understand that coming to the hospital as a patient or as a loved one's support person can be a difficult, often overwhelming experience. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital stay or stopping by to see friends and family, knowing where to go and what to bring will help make your visit less stressful. To make your experience easier, we want to provide you with helpful information you may need to plan your visit, such as what to expect, parking instructions, transportation and more.