University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital Visitation Guidelines
All visitors must check in at the Information Desk in the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital lobby. Names of authorized visitors will be maintained at the nursing units. When a visitor arrives, security will verify whether that person is authorized to visit the child.
Types of Visitors
There are three types of visitors at the Chicago Comer Children's Hospital:
- Parents, legal guardians, or designated caretakers. These people will be given yellow ID bands at the time of admission. The ID band must be displayed at all times.
- Authorized adult visitors. A parent or guardian may pre-approve up to six other adult visitors. These visitors will be given blue ID bands, and may visit the child during normal visiting hours.
- Other visitors. The child's parent or guardian (a person wearing a yellow ID band) must accompany these visitors at all times. Only one visitor at a time without a wristband is allowed for visits.
Visiting Hours
People wearing a yellow ID band (parents, legal guardians, and designated caretakers) are welcome to stay with their child 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In most units, they may sleep at the child's bedside. We also have sleeping rooms for parents who are not able to stay in their child's room.
Visiting hours for friends and relatives are 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., daily. The lobby is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Other Considerations
- Up to four people may be on the unit at any one time.
- Up to two people are permitted at the bedside in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
- Children in the PICU and NICU, and those with conditions that increase their risk of infection may not receive live flowers or plants. Please ask the nurse for further details.
- Please plan any visits by children (age 18 and younger) with the nursing staff 24 hours in advance. An adult must accompany any person younger than age 18 who is not an emancipated minor. An adult must supervise all children 12 years old or younger.
- Visitors with colds, coughs, or other contagious illnesses may not visit. We ask that they remain at home until they are well. Likewise, people who have been exposed to contagious diseases may not visit.
- Visiting guidelines may differ by unit. Please check with the nurse for additional information.
The Hospitals reserves the right to limit visitation as it considers appropriate to the interests of children, families, visitors, and staff.
