Patients & Visitors
Current Visitor Guidance
We understand the value of visitation for patients and seek to balance their desire to see family and friends with their healing process.
After 8 p.m. visitors must enter and exit through the emergency department.
All visitors must stop and check in at the nurses station on patient's nursing unit. Visitation is allowed at any time with the following exceptions:
Emergency Department
- Visitors are allowed 24/7.
- Two visitors per patient at a time.
- Visiting times may be altered due to certain emergencies or a change in the condition of the patient or other patients.
Pediatric Unit and Nursery
- Siblings may visit pediatric patients if the patient's condition allows.
- Only visitors over the age of 18 should say overnight with the patient. These visitors should be limited to parents, guardians or other individuals designated by the patient's guardian.
Labor and Delivery Units
- One support person can visit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to the support person, up to two visitors are allowed during visiting hours at a time determined by the patient.
Intensive Care Units
- Visitors may enter the unit at any time but are asked to check in with the staff prior to entering the patient's room to protect the privacy of the patient.
- Visiting times may be altered due to an emergency or a change in the condition of the patient or other patients.
Neonatal Intensive Care
- Parents and grandparents may visit any time. Siblings are requested to visit between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Staff monitor all incoming visitors and may use their clinical judgement to determine the appropriate number of visitors for each patient, taking into account all aspects of patient health and safety, including potential impacts that visitors may have on other patients in the hospital.
No visitors with a known infectious disease, who recently recovered from an infectious disease, or who recently had an infectious disease shall be admitted for visitation.
At Northwest Health - Porter, 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.
Patient Education
Avoiding Healthcare-Associated Infections