Expanding frequency of visitors to inpatient units at St. Joe’s
Visitors at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton – We are expanding frequency of visitors for inpatients, however there are restrictions on the number of visitors allowed.
Visitors must connect with the unit care team to arrange a visit.
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is slowly increasing the frequency allowed for care partners and visitors as the number of COVID-19 cases remains low in this region, and Hamilton and Ontario ease up on COVID-19 restrictions. However, there remains a limit on the number of visitors in our hospital as one measure of keeping the hospital safe for patients and our healthcare workers.
We recognize that family members, loved ones and all care partners are essential to the physical, emotional, social and spiritual well-being of our patients, and are eager to reintroduce visitors in a safe, slow and staged approach to maintain the health and safety of patients and staff.
Like all Ontario hospitals, we follow government guidelines, which in March recommended closing hospitals to visitors. On June 15, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health recommended reintroducing visitors in a safe manner that takes into account the local situation of COVID-19, hospital pressures and ability to apply public safety measures, such as physical distancing.
As a result, St. Joe’s has developed a staged approach to reintroducing visitors into our hospital that will keep everyone safe. We want you to know that it is safe to be in our hospital. We began reintroducing care partners and visitors to our inpatient areas on June 24, and, as part of the staged approach, increased frequency of visitors for inpatients on August 4, 2020, as Hamilton entered into Stage 3 of easing restrictions.
Our visiting guidelines effective August 4th are:
Visitors are not allowed in the following areas to ensure we can treat patients and maintain physical distancing for those waiting for care:
- Emergency department
- Psychiatric Emergency Service
- Urgent Care Centre
- Outpatient clinics
- Day Surgery
Please come alone to your appointment to help us ensure physical distancing and to allow for patients to come to clinics safely. In special circumstances, the Manager may approve a support person to accompany a patient to Outpatient clinic appointments. Any exception to the visitor restrictions must be approved by the unit or clinic manager.
Limited visitors allowed for inpatients. Please call the unit to arrange your visit:
- Visitors must connect with the care team on the unit to schedule your visiting. Please do not come to visit without arranging your visit with the unit care team. This helps us maintain physical distancing.
- Two designated visitors per day (not at the same time)
- Visitors must be designated by the patient (Patients may designate one or two individuals who will be the only people able to visit). The individuals on your list can be updated after a 14-day period.
- Only one designated person may be in the hospital to visit at any time
- Please connect with your care team who will help establish the schedule for visiting
Limited exceptions exist for allowing more or additional visitors to inpatient areas, including:
- Compassionate grounds for palliative patients
- Partners (or a family member or friend) of women in labour and parents of babies in our Special Care Nursery
- Patients in labour: One support person is permitted.
- Patients staying overnight with a newborn on the Mother Baby Unit: One support person is permitted.
- Parents or caregiver of babies admitted to the Special Care Nursery: One parent or caregiver is permitted at a time.
- Other special needs as determined by the care team
Our hospital is safe. However, it is your responsibility when you are in the hospital to help keep it safe.
- All visitors must be screened before entering the hospital. (Go to sjhhscreening.com to use your phone and get through screening faster)
- Visitors must use designated entrances (Go to stjoes.ca/coronavirus for location of designated entrances)
- Masks must be worn at all times in the hospital.
- Please practice good hand hygiene when entering and leaving the hospital and entering and leaving the hospital unit.
- Please practice physical distancing in all public areas.
If you have any questions about visiting your loved one, please contact their care team.
For more information about St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s services during the pandemic, please visit stjoes.ca/coronavirus.
For more information about screening at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, click here. You can get through screening faster by using our online screening tool at sjhhscreening.com right before entering the hospital.