Patients & Visitors
In response to the presence of COVID-19 in Arizona, Northwest Medical Center, Oro Valley Hospital, Northwest Medical Center Sahuarita, Northwest Medical Center Houghton and Northwest Healthcare affiliated clinics are implementing a restricted Hospital and Clinic Patient Visitor Policy for all medical sites.
Effective Monday, 5/9/22 , at 7 a.m., visitation will be allowed as follows:
- Adult patients in the emergency room are allowed one adult visitor at the bedside only. Pediatric patients in the ER may have two visitors.
- Non-COVID inpatients may have two visitors at a time, during visitation hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors must be masked at all times, including while in patient rooms.
- Labor and delivery and postpartum patients will be allowed one adult support person for the length of their stay. The support person must remain the same throughout the entire stay. Patients who do not have COVID may have one additional adult visitor during labor and one additional adult visitor at a time in postpartum during visitation hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- NICU babies will be allowed two adult visitors. Visitors must remain the same throughout the entire stay.
- Patients on the Behavioral Health Unit at OVH may have one adult visitor between 5:30 and 6:30 pm.
- End-of-life COVID patients will be allowed two visitors for a period of 15 minutes a day. Visitors must be COVID-negative and wear all CDC recommended PPE for the duration of their visit, including gown, gloves, surgical mask, and eye protection. Visitors must check in with an RN before entering patient room.
- Patients at Northwest Primary & Specialty Care clinics, Northwest Urgent Cares, Northwest Emergency Centers, NMC, OVH and NMC-Sahuarita Outpatient Departments (therapy services, imaging, laboratory, etc.) will be allowed one adult visitor.
- Additional visitors essential to patient care will be considered on a case by case basis (translation, discharge needs, dementia care, etc.).
Visitors should be in good health and if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, individuals will be asked not to visit patients and leave the facility. Social distancing measures will remain in place, and visitors may be asked to wait outside briefly if appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained. All visitors must be over the age of 18. All visitors will be required to wear a mask for the duration of their stay. Visitors who refuse to wear a mask will be denied entrance.
ICU Visitation Guidelines
Before visiting a patient in the ICU, please review the following information.
Gifts
Flowers, fruit and stuffed animals are not permitted in the ICU. Cards and photos are encouraged and a pin up board is available in each room for display. Please take all gifts, valuables and belongings home for safe keeping.
Privacy
We protect our patient's confidentiality and right to privacy. You can assist us with this by:
- Identifying a spokesperson for your family - Staff will only discuss patient-specific information with the spokesperson. All other family and friends will be directed to contact the spokesperson for updates on patient status.
- Using a code word - If the spokesperson will be calling in for updates on the patient's condition, please give your nurse a code word. This enables us to know we are releasing information to the correct person.
At Northwest Healthcare, we understand that coming to the hospital as a patient or as a loved one's support person can be a difficult, often overwhelming experience. Whether you’re preparing for a hospital stay or stopping by to see friends and family, knowing where to go and what to bring will help make your visit less stressful. To make your experience easier, we want to provide you with helpful information you may need to plan your visit, such as what to expect, parking instructions, transportation and more.
Request Medical Records
For information about requesting medical records for individuals who have received care at Northwest Healthcare visit this page.