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Visiting Hours & Policies

Visiting Hours and Policies

Normal Hours of Visitation: 

(Central Standard Time (“CST”) and/or Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) Zones) Normal hours of visitation may change during a period of increase in community presence of highly contagious or communicable disease(s) (e.g., COVID-19 status)

East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC):
  • 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. (CST) Monday through Sunday, unless indicated differently below.
  • 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. (CST) Pediatric unit visiting hours.
  • EAMC's Emergency Department (ED) is the only open entrance after 9 p.m. for safety and security reasons. 
Quiet Time:
  • 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (CST/EST) for each inpatient unit, excluding psychiatric services, long term care services, and emergency department. Quiet time shall ensure patients are getting rest and support for their healing by making efforts (e.g., asking visitors to leave the patient rooms, reducing lighting, closing patients’ doors, minimizing overhead pages, putting staff phones (i.e., IP) on vibrate or low rings, and limiting and/or decreasing the impact of frequency rounds, labs, and shift change disruption) to promote rest and healing while not impeding clinical care.

Visitor Screening and Restricted Visitation

All visitors at East Alabama Medical Center must present a government issued ID to be screened upon entering. Children under 16 do not have to present an ID but must remain with a guardian at all times. Visitors will be given a sticker badge that must be worn at all times inside the hospital. Security personnel may ask to see the visitor badge at any time.

Visitors without an ID may be denied entry without an exception for end-of-life care, special needs or direction from clinical leadership. 

Justified visitation restrictions may be imposed by EAMC and EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital personnel on a patient’s visitation rights when restriction or limitation is necessary to provide safe and secure care to the patient. Reasons visitation may be restricted or limited include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Admissions process
  • Patient privacy or rest
  • Quarantine /isolation – due to infectious processes
  • Medically unstable patient
  • Emergency treatment
  • Medical condition
  • Upon determination of medical provider, when indicated
  • Security and/or safety protocol
  • Isolation protocol
  • Forensic protocol
  • Criminal investigation
  • Disaster events
  • Infectious processes (e.g., Flu, COVID)
  • Clinical intervention or procedural times
  • Personnel shift change (e.g., 0700, 1500, 1900, and 2300 CST/EST) – allow time to exchange private information about patient conditions
  • Unit specific (see below)

EAMC Unit-Specific Restrictions:

3rd Floor Women's and Children's Services (Mother/Baby, Childbirth Unit)
  • Restricted entry via check-in area to obtain visitor badge.
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to two (2) per patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff.
  • Children under 12 years old: restricted to siblings at the discretion of physician and/or staff. 
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
  • Restricted entry via check-in area
    • Check-in to obtain visitor badge or identification at information desk or nurses’ station.
  • Restricted visitation during designated “Hand Off of Care” hours Monday through Sunday
    • 5:00 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. (CST)
    • 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (CST)
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to two (2) per patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff.
Pediatrics 
  • Restricted entry via check-in area to obtain visitor badge with maximum number of people at bedside limited to three (3).
  • A primary caregiver is requested to be present at the time of admission.
    • Other siblings/children should be supervised by another person during the admission process.
    • Siblings/children are not allowed to stay overnight. 

Emergency Department

  • Restricted entry via check-in area.
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to one (1) visitor per patient and two (2) per pediatric patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff.
Psychiatry
  • Clinical interventions observed during the following times:
    • Child/Adolescent
    • 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday
    • 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (CST) Saturday and Sunday
    • Adult/Geriatric
      • 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday
      • 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. (CST) Saturday and Sunday
  • Restricted entry via check-in area and confidential code.
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to two (2) per patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff.
  • No overnight visitors allowed.
  • Visiting outside of listed visiting hours may occur at the discretion of the physician and/or staff.
  • Special arrangements must be made for any person under the age of 18.
  • Personal items (e.g. purses, cell phones) are suggested to be left in locked vehicle.
  • All items brought in shall be subject to search and may be collected during visitation (e.g., visitors will be asked to keep vehicle keys in the nurse’s station).
Critical Care (ICU/CVICU)
  • Restricted entry via check-in area.
    • Check-in to obtain visitor badge or identification at information desk or nurses' station.
  • Restricted visits during designated shift change hours Monday through Sunday
    • 6 a.m. - 8 a.m. (CST)
    • 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (CST)
    • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (CST)
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to two (2) per patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff. 
Perioperative Services
  • Restricted entry
  • Number of visitors allowed at one time may be limited to one (1) visitor per patient and two (2) per pediatric patient or at the discretion of physician and/or staff.