HOUSTON — In one of the largest medical centers in the world, the coronavirus is changing how some of Houston’s hospitals do business.
This is the most recent information we have regarding visitor hours, but you should call your hospital ahead of time to double check.
MD Anderson Cancer Center
MD Anderson will no longer allow visitors on any of their campuses.
There will be special circumstances when a single adult visitor will need to accompany a patient.
Limited exceptions for outpatient care include: Pediatric patients, and adult patients with neurocognitive issues and/or who are unable to consent for themselves.
Limited exceptions for inpatient care: Pediatric patients; imminent end-of-life patients based on the clinical team’s assessment; visitors who are already serving in a constant care capacity and who have been at MD Anderson’s inpatient hospital since before the new policy begins; patients with cognitive and physical frailties as submitted by attending physician and nursing.
Visitors authorized to remain must be willing to participate in daily screenings for COVID-19 and to shelter in place and keep a constant presence.
View a map of patient drop-off and pick-up locations, as well as temporary, free “cell phone” garages for caregivers.
Arrangements have been made for the safe discharge of surgery and same-day procedure patients. Read more about these arrangements.
Memorial Hermann Hospital
Memorial Hermann Health System is now allowing its hospital patients to have one visitor each per day beginning June 1.
Visitors must follow the following protocols and rules:
- One visitor (over the age of 18) will be allowed per patient.
- Age restrictions do not apply to visitors 18 and under who present in the Emergency Center with a patient. Minors who accompany Emergency Center patients may remain with the patient.
- Visiting hours for all Memorial Hermann hospitals, TIRR Memorial Hermann and Katy Rehab are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Visitors of Day Surgery patients will be allowed to remain onsite until the patient is discharged as long as social distancing is not compromised in the waiting area.
- No overnight visitors are allowed.
- No visitors will be allowed for any patient in isolation.
- Visitors may utilize hospital cafeterias and cafés
The new policy effects all hospitals, including TIRR Memorial Hermann and Katy Rehab, but does not remove visitor restrictions at the system's outpatient care facilities such as Memorial Hermann Imaging Centers, Memorial Hermann Breast Care Centers, Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation locations and Memorial Hermann Medical Group clinics.
University Place, a Memorial Hermann Skilled Nursing Facility and independent adult living community will also continue to restrict all visitors in compliance with state guidelines for nursing centers.
Memorial Hermann officials said the no-visitor policy at these facilities will stay in place until further notice.
"This decision will further protect our patients and the community from the spread of COVID-19 and help conserve Memorial Hermann’s supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure our ability to continue providing safe care during this time."
The hospital continues to encourage the use of video chat programs on your personal device to visit with loved ones who cannot visit in person.
HCA Houston Healthcare
The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is one of 13 HCA Houston Healthcare hospitals tightening restrictions to two visitors at a time per patient.
Under the new visitation rules, one visitor can stay overnight with laboring mothers, NICU and pediatric patients.
HCA Houston mainland, HCA Houston Tomball, and HCA Houston West are not allowing visitors.
The following HCA Houston Healthcare locations will allow one visitor to be with each patient during visiting hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- HCA Houston Clear Lake
- HCA Houston Conroe
- HCA Houston Kingwood
- HCA Houston Medical Center
- HCA Houston North Cypress
- HCA Houston Northwest
- HCA Houston Pearland
- HCA Houston Southeast
- Texas Orthopedic Hospital
- The Woman's Hospital of Texas
Entry points at all HCA Houston Healthcare hospitals are now staffed to screen visitors based on the health system’s protocols for identifying and assessing for COVID-19.
Call your HCA hospital in advance to get the latest on their visitor policies.
- HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake
- HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe
- HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood
- HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland
- HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center
- HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress
- HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest
- HCA Houston Healthcare Pearland
- HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast
- HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball
- HCA Houston Healthcare West
- Texas Orthopedic Hospital
- The Woman's Hospital of Texas
Texas Children's Hospital
Hospitals, including Texas Children’s Emergency Centers, and Specialty Care locations are limited to one visitor over 18 years of age.
Siblings, children or other visitors younger than 18 years of age will not be allowed. There is no childcare available at any of our locations.
Additionally, all patients and visitors will be subject to screening upon arrival. Any ill visitor may be asked to leave.
Texas Children’s Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics and Texas Children’s Health Plan – The Centers for Children and Women highly encourage you to limit visitors to one individual over 18 years of age.
To help protect our patients and staff – if at all possible – we ask that you not bring siblings, children or other visitors younger than 18 years of age. Please know, we are here to care for any patient who needs us.
Additionally, all patients and visitors will be subject to screening upon arrival.
Pavilion for Women Patients
Outpatient appointments
Patients only. No additional visitors are currently permitted in the outpatient women’s clinics until further notice:
Baylor College of Medicine OBGYN clinic, 3rd floor
Texas Children's Family Fertility Center, 3rd floor
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic, 4th floor
The Women’s Place, 3rd floor
Partners in Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic, 7th floor
Women's Specialists of Houston clinic, 15th floor
This also applies to all Pavilion for Women community clinic locations:
Pearland OBGYN clinic
All community Maternal-Fetal clinic locations
Labor and Delivery (inpatient)
Patients arriving for labor and delivery are allowed one visitor over 18 years of age. This includes your labor support visitor, such as a spouse or partner. This will be the one visitor for your hospital stay, unless there is a medical indication for the visitor or patient.
Any ill support visitor will not be allowed to accompany the patient during labor and delivery and will be asked to leave the hospital.
Please be prepared to designate a new support visitor who is not exhibiting symptoms.
After delivery, no visitor under the age of 18 will be permitted, and only one visitor over the age of 18 will be allowed in a patient’s room at any time.
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
The DeBakey VA Medical Center is screening all Veterans, visitors and employees who enter their main medical center and community-based outpatient clinics.
Patients are limited to one visitor and they are asked to wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before and after visitation.
They are asking veterans with flu-like symptoms to call 713-794-8985 before visiting a Houston-area VA location.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also announced new safeguards to limit the new coronavirus exposure risks to two of its most susceptible patients: nursing home residents and spinal-cord injury patients.
All 134 VA nursing homes across the country, housing more than 41,000 veterans, will not allow any outside visitors to see residents.
The only exception will be in compassionate cases where a veteran is in their last stages of life on hospice units. In those specific cases, visitors will be limited to the veteran's room only.
Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist Hospital is allowing one visitor per patient beginning June 1.
All visitors must be screened, during which they'll be asked questions and have their temperatures checked. All approved visitors will be asked to wear a wristband.
ER patients who are waiting for a COVID-19 evaluation or who have tested positive for the virus will not be allowed to have visitors.
Ben Taub Hospital/LBJ Hospital
A spokesman for Harris Health said the hospitals are not allowing visitors unless it is medically necessary.
CHI St. Luke's Health
Baylor St. Luke's allows for one designated caregiver to visit non-COVID-19 patients during the designated time frames. Visitation hours are 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
The hospital system continues to have a no visitor policy for COVID-19 patients, but exceptions will be made in extraordinary end-of-life situations.
UTMB
The University of Texas Medical Branch has loosened COVID-related restrictions to its visitor policy.
Two adult visitors are allowed daily visits to inpatient units from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
These visitors can only stay 30 minutes.
COVID-19 infected patients will not be allowed visitors except during exceptional circumstances.
Only one adult visitor may accompany patients for elective procedures and in the emergency department.
Shriners Hospital for Children - Galveston
Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston is permitting one parent and child visitor to see patients at the hospital.