Visitation Policies

The purpose of this policy is to create a safe, private environment for all patients, visitors, and employees at MD Anderson. It covers all employees (including faculty), volunteers, patients and visitors. This policy excludes pediatric patients.

Inpatient Visiting Hours: 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. daily
Ambulatory patients may also visit with guests in the waiting rooms located on each floor, in the cafeteria or the lobby areas. 

Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, all day on weekends and on official holidays, persons not wearing an MD Anderson badge must sign in with University of Texas (UT) police officers stationed in clinic lobbies. The officer will contact the destination area to obtain permission. Names and destinations of persons without an MD Anderson badge will be recorded.

• No more than two (2) guests are allowed in a patient room at one time
• One (1) overnight visitor is allowed in a patient room, but overnight visitors are not permitted to stay in the waiting rooms or lobby areas
• Children under the age of 18 are prohibited from staying overnight

Many MD Anderson patients are susceptible to infections. People with evidence of even mild communicable illnesses or infections, or who have recently been exposed to same, will not be allowed to visit patients. Children represent a special risk group, and must undergo screening.

Visitors will be asked to leave the premises if they become disruptive or interfere with the general comfort and care of other patients, visitors or staff.

In some instances, it is necessary to restrict access to diagnostic and therapeutic procedure areas for health and safety reasons. If the staff decides to restrict visitation, the patient will receive an explanation. When possible, the patient is included in the decision. Special restrictions apply to all visitors in the Hematology area of Alkek.

Exceptions

The Clinical Administrative Director, RN manager, hospital administrator, nursing administrator or their designee may modify the open visitation policy for a specific patient care area when necessary to protect the health and safety of patients or visitors. Details of the modification will be posted using institutional signage standards and displayed in the affected areas.

Special circumstances requiring emergency guest accommodations are referred to the Evening/Night/Weekend Administrator.

Intensive Care Unit

Get details on visitation policies for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Private Rooms

One adult visitor is permitted to remain overnight with those patients occupying private rooms.

Pediatric

Pediatric patients on G9W are permitted one adult overnight visitor. Overnight visitation privileges may be rescinded by written order from the attending physician or his designee.

Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

If a pediatric patient is admitted to the PACU, one parent/ legal guardian will be permitted to remain with the patient from the time of admission through discharge from the unit.

Visitation Policy for Children

Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied at all times by someone over 18 years of age. Regardless of their destination, all children must be screened for immunization status, general health, and recent exposure to communicable disease. Families entering MD Anderson with children will be directed to the nearest Information Desk for screening. A Welcome Center staff member will assist families in filling out the screening document and sign it. The screening record will be filed for future reference.

Children cleared for visitation must wear a Visitor’s Passport on their shirt and are permitted in the public and non-restricted areas of the hospital. If for some reason a child arrives at a unit or care center without a Visitor’s Passport, a nurse in that area will be responsible for screening the child.

Children who are not cleared will be asked to leave the institution. If the family disagrees with the request, Welcome Center staff will call UT Police for assistance. If UT Police believe a clinical opinion is necessary, the Director of Nursing on-call will be asked to determine if the child may visit. If the Director of Nursing on-call supports the Welcome Center staff decision, the family will be asked to remove the child.

Children are prohibited from visiting the following Ambulatory and Inpatient areas:

• Infusion Therapy
• Diagnostic Center
• Fine Needle Aspiration Area
• Emergency Center
• Ambulatory Treatment Centers (ATC Bed, ATC Chair, ATC-Greenpark)
• Medical Specialties Center
• Hematology Center
• Blood and Marrow Transplant Center
• Bone Marrow Aspiration Center
• Pheresis Area
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Operating Room
• Day Surgery
• Leukemia Service: G.10W, G.12W
• BMT Service: G.11
• Protected Environment: G.12E
• Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

The Child Visitation Room provides a safe, supervised area for children when a family member is going to a restricted area. Children who do not pass the screening cannot be taken to the Child Visitation Room. All children in the visitation room must have a negative screen for recent illnesses, exposure to chickenpox or live vaccines.

If special permission is given for a child to visit a restricted area, they must be screened for recent polio vaccination. A child who has received oral polio vaccine within the past six weeks is prohibited from contact with immuno-suppressed patients.