Piedmont Athens Regional Visitor Information
Care Partner Policy (Updated June 30, 2023)
All visitors should wear a mask if they have signs/symptoms of a respiratory illness or visit when symptom-free.
- Visitors under the age of 16 are not routinely allowed unless an exception is approved by the relevant unit/department leader or Patient Experience/Nursing Supervisor.
- We encourage no more than two visitors in a room at a time during routine visiting hours from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (some units may have more restrictive hours).
- Waiting rooms may re-open, but social distancing between families will be expected.
- For visitor issues (disrespectful behavior, non-compliance with mask-wearing, not adhering to visiting hours) – call 4444 to help deescalate issues and expectation setting or remove the visitor from the facility.
- Contact Patient Experience (3397) or Public Safety (4444) for end-of-life visitation if crowd management is needed.
Some departments have limitations to visitation hours and/or number of support persons allowed per patient:
- In-Patient Infectious COVID patients (less than 10-day criteria)
One visitor per patient and he/she must stay in the patient’s room and use proper PPE.
- Emergency Department
- Two visitors per patient. Visitors under 16 by exception only.
- Visitors may be allowed to swap out if only two are in the ED treatment room.
- Hallway patients will be limited to one visitor due to the availability of space.
- No visitors will be allowed to wait in the waiting room once the patient is in the room.
- Visitors may wait in the WR if the patient is also waiting in the waiting room.
- COVID patients may have one visitor. This visitor must always remain in the room and should not swap out.
- Any exceptions to these guidelines should be directed to the PAC. If the PAC is unavailable, all exceptions will be made by the Flow Coordinator at ext. 2442.
- Women’s Services
Visitation guidelines vary by department. Siblings are allowed in FCC and Pediatrics.
Piedmont encourages the use of electronic devices to communicate with patients who are hospitalized.
Virtual Visiting Resources
While we regret the inconvenience it may cause for some patients, safety is at the center of our organization, and we believe these steps are necessary to create the safest environment at our hospital.
All workforce are screened prior to the start of the workday/assigned shift at the entrance, or upon reporting to their work unit/department, via temperature or via signs/symptoms quarantine screen that may include a temperature check as needed.
Entrance to the Building
- During Regular Business Hours:
The Main Tower entrance is open Monday through Friday, 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- During After Hours:
For the safety of our patients, access to our hospital is limited at night. All entry to the hospital after 7:00 p.m. must go through the Emergency Department entrance.
Additional Resources