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Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Our visitor policy is in place to help protect your baby from unnecessary exposure to germs and infections – and enable the best possible care for both your baby and your family.

As a parent, you can usually visit your baby anytime, night or day. Between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., please enter the hospital through the Emergency Department entrance.

However, there may be times when you will be asked to leave your baby’s beside to protect the privacy of other patients and families in the Unit. This usually is the case during the nurses shift change. You may also be asked to leave the bedside during admissions, emergencies, or some special procedures. We also encourage you to allow your baby to rest during quiet time, which is every day from noon to 1:30pm.

In addition for your own health, we encourage you to take breaks. Do not expect to be by your baby’s side 24‐hours a day –force yourself to take breaks. You should take time to eat, go home, take care of errands, or spend some time with other family members.
There is no food allowed by the baby’s beside.

Visitors are limited to three (3) at the bedside, one of whom must be the parent. Our NICU is closed to sibling visitation under the age of 16 years.

Upon parent’s approval, grandparents may visit without a parent present. Other care‐givers can be designated by the parents if grandparents are not available. A photo ID of grandparents or designated care‐givers needs to be copied for the chart.

To protect your baby we encourage any parents or visitors with a sore throat, runny nose, cough, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea or temperature above 100.5 F. or who are in direct contact with someone who has the above symptoms, not to enter the NICU.

Security will issue one (1) parent badge to you upon admission for access to the NICU. Badges must be returned when your baby is discharged.