Department-specific guidelines for visitors and support people
Visitors in any of the medical, surgical or coronary intensive care units are limited to two people from the immediate family for 15 minutes every hour between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. When visiting a patient in any of these units, please check with the nurse before entering the patient’s room.
Visitors must be 18 or older and remain the same for the whole day.
- Inpatient non-COVID: Two visitors per patient per day during visiting hours
- Inpatient COVID/pending results: One vaccinated visitor per day for a limited time during visiting hours. Visitor cannot be a member of the patient’s household due to exposure and considered under quarantine for 10 days.
- End of life: Two visitors are allowed at a time for six visitors per patient. Visitors must remain in the room with the patient and always wear a mask. Vaccine requirement preferred but will be waived for end-of-life patients. If needed, two visitors may remain with the patient until the end of their life.
- Inpatient pediatrics (younger than 18): Two parents/guardians are allowed during visiting hours. One parent/guardian may remain with the patient overnight.
- Inpatients with disabilities or special needs: One visitor per patient is allowed per day during visiting hours.
- Essential caregivers: One designated support person is allowed at all times. Must be designated in advance and can swap out every 12 hours.
If you have questions or concerns, please call Patient Experience assistance at 215-662-9100.
- Non-COVID: One healthy visitor is allowed in the waiting room, if needed.
- Non-COVID boarding patients: One healthy person is allowed during visitation hours after the evaluation is complete and the patient is in their room or holding area.
- COVID or patients awaiting test results: No visitors.
- Trauma: One family member or support person is allowed with the approval of the treatment team.
Patients having a surgical/outpatient procedure may have one family member or support person, who can wait in a designated waiting area during the procedure and will be allowed a brief 30-minute visit post-procedure.
If the surgical procedure goes beyond 8 p.m., the family member or support person can wait in the designated waiting area and will be allowed a brief 30-minute visit post-procedure.
This includes surgery (Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and Penn Medicine University City), infusions, cardiac cath/electrophysiology, stress/echocardiogram tests, MRI, CT scan, interventional radiology, and gastroenterology and pulmonary procedures. It also includes radiation oncology treatments.
If an inpatient is having surgery and will not go to the recovery room, a 30-minute post-surgical visit will be in the patient’s in-patient room once they are settled.
Penn Presbyterian’s behavioral health unit does not currently allow visitors.
- Outpatient evaluation and management visits: One healthy visitor is allowed to accompany the patient to the appointment
- Children younger than 18 are not permitted to accompany the patient.