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Visitation

Masking Guidance

Based on updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, SGMC will utilize current county transmission levels to determine whether masking is necessary. 

Lowndes County COVID-19 transmission rates are not high. Please use the mask guidance to keep our patients, staff, and visitors safe and healthy.

  • Optional for healthy patients and visitors
  • Recommended for immunocompromised persons
  • Required for individuals positive for COVID-19, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or who have recently been in close contact with someone who was COVID-19 positive

Berrien County COVID-19 transmission rates are not high. Please use the mask guidance to keep our patients, staff, and visitors safe and healthy.

  • Optional for healthy patients and visitors
  • Recommended for immunocompromised persons
  • Required for individuals positive for COVID-19, experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or who have recently been in close contact with someone who was COVID-19 positive

Lanier County COVID-19 transmission rates are high. Hospital-issued masks are required.

Visiting Hours

Visiting Hours are from 9:00am to 8:30pm. The nurse in charge may, at his or her discretion based on individual patient and family needs, alter visitation.

After-Hours Visitation

In an emergency or special request to visit after 8:30pm, visitors must enter through the parking deck to the Main Lobby and obtain a visitor identification badge.

Visitor badges are issued in the Main Lobby between 8:30pm – 6:00am. Visitor badges in the Emergency Department are issued 24 hours a day. Only two (2) visitor badges will be issued to one (1) patient at any one time. Valid identification is required during these hours.

Number of Visitors

The number of visitors per patient is limited. Visitors are limited to two (2) per patient at any one time. Any additional visitors should wait in the Main or Outpatient lobby.

Additional Information

  • NO CHILDREN UNDER 12 may visit patients.
  • HELP US CONTROL INFECTIONS. Visitors with colds, sore throats, fever, flu like symptoms or any contagious diseases should not visit patients.
  • ALL VISITORS are required to wear shoes, a shirt, and a hospital-issued mask.
  • ALL VISITORS are encouraged to wash their hands before and after each visit using soap and water, or the available hand sanitizer.

COVID-19 Positive Patients

  • may not have visitors, with the exception of Labor and Delivery, Post-Partum, and Pediatric patients who will be limited to one visitor/caregiver, with no designated time limit.

Visitation will be allowed under special considerations such as, patients who are at end-of-life and patients who have cognitive or communicative disabilities or issues, a support person will be allowed to accompany a patient throughout their stay, whether inpatient or outpatient, according to the qualifiers outlined by the Office for Civil Rights.

Exceptions will be granted for pediatric patients under 18, any patient who requires a vital caregiver based upon cognitive or physical disability, special considerations, and trauma patients.

Intensive Care Units (CICU, SICU/MICU)

  • One (1) visitor may visit patients during limited visiting hours (9:00am-11am and 3pm-6pm).
  • Visitors must call the nurse for permission to visit by using the phone in the intensive care waiting rooms.
  • Visiting hours are subject to change at the discretion of the nursing staff.
  • At the nurse’s discretion, one parent may remain in the room with a pediatric patient. Other family members are asked to follow regular visitation guidelines.

Emergency Department

  • Two visitors may visit with an Emergency Department patient at any one time.
  • The Emergency Department staff may suspend visitation with an individual patient.
  • The Emergency Department may suspend all Emergency Department visitation for patient care or safety reasons. All visitors will be asked to return to the waiting area, and allowed to return to the patient care area when the situation is resolved.
  • Visitor badges will be issued to all authorized visitors in the Emergency Department 24-hours per day.

Rehab Unit

  • Regular visitor hours are Monday – Saturday: 12:00pm-1:00pm, 4:00pm-8:30pm; Sunday: 10:00am – 8:30pm

Women/Children Areas

  • One caregiver of a new baby may spend the night if the patient has a private room.
  • Siblings may visit on Post Partum if accompanied by an adult. Any sibling with an infection is not allowed to visit.
  • Families waiting for pending deliveries may wait in the Labor & Delivery waiting room until the birth of the baby.
  • After the family, including siblings, has visited the mother and the baby, they must return to the main lobby.

Critically ill/Intensive Care Patients in Labor & Delivery

  • Visitors may visit up to 15 minutes per visit every 1-2 hours.
  • With the nurse’s approval, one visitor may remain in the room with a stable patient.
  • All visitation may be suspended at any time at the discretion of the nurse.
  • Families waiting for pending deliveries may wait in the Labor & Delivery waiting room until the birth of the baby. After the family, including siblings, has visited the mother and the baby, they must return the main lobby.

Cancer Center

  • Because many Cancer Center patients are immuno-compromised, no children under age 12 are allowed in the department. Children under 12 must wait in the hospital’s main lobby and be accompanied by an adult.
  • One (1) visitor is allowed per patient in the infusion area. Additional visitors should wait in the Cancer Center main lobby.