Visiting a Patient
Current Visitation Guidelines as of January 12, 2024
Visitation Policy
It is the policy of Hunterdon Medical Center to have open visitation on patient care units by encouraging family support and visiting in an environment that promotes comfort, rest, safety, and healing. Patients may have the visitor(s) of their choice during their stay.
Hunterdon Medical Center is committed to nondiscrimination and welcoming visitors without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, religion, marital status, citizenship, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation and/or other legally protected classification at all patient locations. Family, for the purposes of visitation, means any person(s) who plays a significant role in an individual’s life.
Age restrictions for most visitors have been eliminated except in the ICU, Maternity and Newborn Care Center, and 2 Central. Any visitors under the age of 12 years must be supervised by an adult at all times.
Visitors who are ill are asked to postpone their visit to our patients until they are well.
Hunterdon Medical Center will supply meals to the visitor(s) for a small fee. The visitor(s) should order food using the same procedure as the patient. They will eat in the room with the patient.
Security will be called for any visitor that violates the visitor policy and they will be escorted out of the building. They will NOT be allowed re-entry into the hospital.
Hunterdon Medical Center reserves the right to change these policies without notice to provide safe care to our community.
*Maternity and Newborn Care Center:
Please see Visiting Maternity and Newborn Care Center for complete guidelines.
The safety and well-being of our patients, visitors, and staff is our number one priority. Please be aware of the following guidelines before visiting Hunterdon Medical Center.
Prior to and During the Visit
- All visitors must perform hand hygiene before visiting a patient.
- Once in the hospital, visitors shall remain in the patient’s room (or Emergency Department room/bay) as much as possible throughout the visit, except when directed by the hospital or facility staff to leave during an aerosol-generating procedure or other procedures in which visitors are usually asked to leave.
- All visitors must comply with all reasonable requirements imposed by the hospital or facility to minimize the potential spread of infection.
Beginning March 28, 2023, in all Hunterdon Health facilities, masks will be optional for visitors, patients, and staff, with some exceptions. Masking will be required where it is part of the routine infection prevention process. For example, staff caring for COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 suspected patients will be required to wear masks.
If visitors or patients have symptoms of an infectious illness, had a positive COVID-19 test within the past 10 days, or had exposure to COVID-19 infection, they will be required to wear a mask.
If a COVID-19 resurgence calls for a return to masking, Hunterdon Health may change these protocols in the future.