Visitor Information

• No more than two visitors per patient are recommended. Additional visitors may be permitted at the discretion of the charge nurse, nurse manager and/or physician.
• Visitors may be permitted to stay overnight, at the patient’s request and at the discretion of the charge nurse, nurse manager and/or physician. No more than one visitor per patient is recommended for overnight stays. The Protection Services and Security Department must be notified in advance to ensure appropriate patient safety measures are provided.
• For the health and safety of our patients, children under the age of 12 are discouraged from visiting. If a child under the age of 12 is permitted to visit, the child must be accompanied by an adult.
• Children under 18 years of age must always be accompanied by an adult while visiting the hospital.
• Visitation of patients in semi-private rooms may pose privacy or care issues and will be at the discretion of the health care team. The number of visitors permitted in semi-private rooms will be determined in collaboration with both patients, their family members and/or visitors and both patients’ health care teams.
• Visitors exhibiting signs of illness (e.g., fever, diarrhea, cough, rash) or who have been exposed to a contagious disease must refrain from visiting for the protection of our patients and health care providers.
• The Infection Prevention Department may identify precautions that require facility wide or patient-specific visitor restrictions or precautions to prevent transmission based on specific infection prevention concerns or upon advisement by public health authorities (such as the county epidemiologist or the local health officer).

Behavioral Health Patients

Overlook Medical Center

• Visiting hours Monday through Friday are 6:00pm - 8:00pm
• Visiting hours Saturday and Sunday are 3:00pm - 5:00pm and 6:00pm - 8:00pm
  

Morristown Medical Center

• Daily visiting hours are 6:00pm - 8:00pm 
• Visitors may be restricted on a case basis due specific patient acuity and/or circumstance.

Newton Medical Center

• Visiting hours are daily from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
• Two visitors per patient permitted.
• Children under the age of 14 are permitted only with physician’s order and must be accompanied by an adult visitor.
• Visiting outside of regular visiting hours may be permitted at the discretion of the treatment team.
• Visitors may be restricted on a case basis due specific patient acuity and/or circumstance.

Emergency Department

• Visitors are permitted any time.
• Two visitors are permitted with the patient at any given time, subject to department volume.
• Pediatric patients 20 years and under are allowed two parents/guardians at all times.

Intensive Care Units (ICU, Neuro ICU, MICU, CVICU, CCU)

• Visitors in the intensive care units are encouraged to visit at any time.
• Immediate family members and significant others are the only visitors suggested in the intensive care units.
• Quiet time is observed from 2:00pm - 4:00pm at Morristown, Overlook, Hackettstown, Newton and Chilton medical centers. Quiet time is based on individual patient preference and clinical condition.
• Due to limited space, only two visitors at a time are permitted.
• Children under 12 are not allowed unless otherwise discussed with and approved by the patient care team.
• All visitations may be modified at the health care team’s discretion.

Maternity Care Patients

• The designated support person is encouraged to be with the laboring mother during the birth process.
• Unless clinically contraindicated, the laboring couple may define their family and designate who they would like to share the labor and delivery experience and how long they may be present for the laboring process.
• Designated support person and/or significant others may visit at any time.
• The designated support person may stay overnight in the mother’s room. Proper attire and decorum is to be maintained at all times.
• Siblings of the child are permitted to visit if accompanied by an adult.
• The physician and/or nursing staffing may restrict these visitation guidelines based upon the mother or unborn child’s condition.
• Morristown Medical Center (only) - Maternity visiting hours are 10:00am - 8:00pm. Only two visitors are permitted at a time (in addition to the support person and siblings). At this time, siblings are permitted during normal visiting hours. No other children under the age of 16 are permitted.

Pediatric Patients

• Parents or primary care givers may visit at any time
• Accommodations allow for one parent or care giver to stay overnight.
• Two visitors may visit, not including parents, at the bedside.
• Relatives are welcome to visit but must be authorized by parents.
• Sibling visitation under age 16 must be approved by the nurse. Social workers and child life specialists will be involved in the process.

NICU

• Two banded individuals may be present in the NICU at any time.
  • Sleeping accommodations are provided for one banded individual overnight.
• Other visitors over 18 years of age may visit between 10:00am - 6:00pm, 7 days per week, as long as 1 banded person is also present 
  • Maximum of 3 total individuals per bedside
  • No visitors under the age of 18 are permitted 
• Exceptions will be made on case-by-case basis.

Surgery or Procedure Patients

• Up to two adult visitors are welcome to accompany the patient to the procedural waiting room.
• Pre-operative waiting area
  • Adult patients: One adult visitor at the bedside
  • Pediatric patients: Up to two adults at the bedside
• Surgical suite: pediatric patients 
  • One parent, wearing proper surgical attire, may accompany the child to the operating room suite until the induction of anesthesia. 
  • This process will be managed by the health care team at the discretion of the anesthesiologist.
• Post-anesthesia care unit/cardiac post-anesthesia care unit: arrangements will be made with the patient and family
• Morristown Medical Center – Gagnon 5: children are not permitted unless previously discussed with the health care team.

If there is an increase in respiratory illness in our community, patients, support persons and visitors may be asked to wear a disposable mask and practice physical distancing while in our medical facilities and physician practices. The location you are visiting will provide guidance when you arrive.

• Patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms will be requested to wear masks, if tolerated.
• Disposable face masks will be provided to visitors upon their request.