Visiting UAB Medicine Menu
ALL HOSPITAL AND CLINIC SITES
UPDATED OCTOBER 13, 2025
UAB Medicine recognizes the importance of essential caregivers in the healing process of our patients. An essential caregiver is a family member, friend, or other individual who is at the hospital or clinics to support the patient during the course of the patient’s admission or outpatient visit and may exercise the patient’s visitation rights on the patient’s behalf if the patient is unable to do so.
General visitation guidelines:
- A patient has the right to refuse or limit visitation at any time.
- All visitors are expected to abide by UAB Medicine policies or visitation rights may be suspended.
- Essential caregivers, family, and friends are not permitted to accompany a patient into a procedural area.
- We encourage small groups of visitors at a time (2-4 when feasible, except in Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Nursery, Emergency Departments, and Spain Rehabilitation with specific guidelines). Occasionally, space and other limitations may require us to request adjustments to the number of visitors.
- Patients and visitors are allowed appropriate, consensual physical contact that will encourage the patient’s healing and recovery, including holding the patient’s hand or placing a hand on patient’s arm or shoulder. Intimate physical contact is not permitted.
Visitation guidelines for hospitalized patients:
- A patient may appoint an essential caregiver who is entitled to 2 hours of daily visitation in addition to any other authorized visitation.
- The patient’s designation of an essential caregiver may be changed as often as the patient desires but may be limited to one essential caregiver at a time.
- Patients are entitled to clergy visitation following the same guidance as an essential caregiver.
- Designated entrances of the hospitals are open for visitors between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Entrances for visitors of inpatients are: North Pavilion Emergency Department entrance, North Pavilion second-floor access entrance from 4th Avenue parking deck, Women & Infants main entrance, Spain-Wallace first floor entrance on 19th Street, and the UAB Hospital-Highlands Emergency Department entrance.
- Family and friends of inpatients are asked to complete visitation by 10 p.m. with the exception of an essential caregiver who may stay overnight.
- The number of visitors allowed at the bedside may be restricted based upon the health of the patient, space available in the room, and/or any seasonal or emergency restrictions necessary to protect the patient, visitors, and staff.
Visitation guidelines for patients in our clinics:
- During normal clinic hours, one or more essential caregiver may accompany patients in clinic settings where space and healthcare needs of the patient permits.
Visitation in infusion clinics:
- One essential caregiver is permitted to sit with the patient during the infusion; this essential caregiver can be a child over the age of 12 years.
- Exceptions to visitation due to physical limitations or health-related concerns will be addressed by the patient’s assigned nurse and/or nursing supervisor.
Visitation guidelines related to preventing illness in patients and visitors:
- Any visitor who is COVID-19 positive or has symptoms of illness should not visit a patient within any UAB Medicine facility.
- A mask should be worn in UAB Medicine facilities by those who have had contact with anyone within the past 10 days who has COVID-19 or who has had symptoms of illness (such as fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, body aches, new loss of taste or smell, congestion) even if they don’t feel ill.
- In the best interest of our patients, visitors with obvious signs of infection will be asked to postpone visiting until infectious symptoms are totally absent.
- All visitors are to practice appropriate hand hygiene (which may include washing hands and/or using hand sanitizer), limit touching of surfaces in patient care areas, and following specific directions provided by nursing staff appropriate to the isolation status of a patient.
- Patients in any type of isolation will have a sign corresponding to the type of isolation posted on or just outside their door. These signs provide directions on the appropriate measures to take while visiting to protect themselves and the patient from spread of illness. Any questions related to isolation measures should be directed to the patient’s health care staff.
Visitation by minors (18 years or younger)
- Minors are to be accompanied by a responsible adult who will maintain supervision of the minor(s) at all times.
- Patients cannot be the responsible caregiver for visiting minors.
- Minors are not permitted to stay overnight.
- Minors are restricted per unit/area as follows:
- Bone Marrow Transplant Unit: children younger than 4 years are not permitted.
- Transplant ICUs: children under the age of 12 years are permitted to visit with permission from staff. Any child who is ill or has signs of illness is not allowed to visit.
- Labor and Delivery and Maternal Emergency Unit: no children under the age of 12 years are permitted to visit unless they are siblings of the baby admitted.
- Regional Neonatal ICU/Critical Care Nursery: children under the age of 12 years are not permitted except for siblings of the patient – infant. During periods of higher than normal respiratory illness, children under the age of 12 years may be restricted.
Exceptions to the general visitation guidelines based on patient care needs or space limitations:
- Patients who are COVID-19 positive or are being tested to rule out COVID-19:
- Essential caregivers will be instructed on personal protective equipment and guidance to visit safely.
- Only one essential caregiver is permitted at time.
- Essential caregivers cannot be present during aerosolizing procedures; you will be asked to step out for your protection.
- Essential caregivers are encouraged to remain in the patient’s room to avoid possible transmission of illness to others.
- Patients in semi-private rooms where two patients share a room are not allowed overnight visitors of the opposite sex; only one same-sex essential caregiver is permitted to stay overnight in a shared patient room.
Intensive Care Units:
- Two visitors are allowed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; one essential caregiver is allowed to spend the night in the patient’s room.
- Essential caregivers present in the room during shift change reports may be asked to step out unless the caregiver has appropriate permission/status for sharing the patient’s personal health information.
Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit/Critical Care Nursery
- Parents (mother, father, or significant other) and 4 designated essential caregivers may visit at any time
- Daily visitors (not designated essential caregivers) may visit during regular visiting hours
- Two people may spend the night in the patient’s room (must be parent or designated essential caregiver with lanyard).
- Designated Essential Caregivers:
- Parents will be asked to supply the names and relationships for up to 4 designated essential caregivers who must be 18 years of age or older.
- Designated essential caregivers may visit without the presence of a parent and may spend the night.
- Designated essential caregivers are not permitted to bring any other guest onto the unit, including siblings to the baby.
Emergency Departments:
- It is at the discretion of the ED staff to allow family members to accompany the patient to the treatment area initially. If asked to remain in the waiting room, staff will make every effort to ensure that family and friends are updated and allowed to visit as quickly as possible.
- All visitors must obtain a visitor’s pass before entering the treatment area.
- Visitors are allowed to accompany admitted patients during transport to their assigned room when appropriate.
Spain Rehabilitation:
- Two visitors are permitted to visit until 8:30 p.m. each day, after 8:30 p.m. one adult may stay overnight with the patient.
- Visitors are encouraged to remain in the patient’s room during visitation.
Center for Psychiatric Medicine:
- Visitors by appointment only, according to the therapeutic plan
UAB Hospital-Callahan Eye:
Patients have the right to receive visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- The number of visitors may be limited at any time.
- Any visitor who is 12 years of age or younger must be accompanied by an adult during visitation. The responsible/attending adult cannot be the patient.
- Parents or legal representatives visiting children in the hospital shall wear red arm bands as defined in the Patient Identification Policy.
- Patients seen in the Emergency Room are limited to one essential caregiver due to space.
Heart & Lung Transplant Unit – Flu Visitation Rules:
DO NOT VISIT if you have cold or flu-like symptoms (cough, fever, chills, runny nose).
- Wash your hands frequently.
- NO CHILDREN under the age of 12 may visit.
- Visitors are limited to ONLY 2 at one time.
- Visitors may rotate during the visit.
- Overnight visitors MUST have permission and are limited to ONLY 1 visitor per night over the age of 18.
- Flowers and plants are not allowed in the ICU.
Women & Infants Center:
- Caregivers who have a fever, cough, or other cold/flu symptoms are not allowed to visit.
- Only the siblings of infant patients are allowed to visit Labor & Delivery (L&D), the Mother-Baby Unit (MBU), and HighRisk Obstetrics (HRO) when seasonal visitation guidelines are in effect, which is Oct. 1 through March 31 of each year.
- Specific visitation guidelines may vary by unit, including age restrictions for siblings and other children.
Regional Newborn Intensive Care Unit (RNICU)/Continuing Care Nursery (CCN):
- No children under age 12 are allowed to visit when seasonal visitation guidelines are in effect, which is Oct. 1 through March 31 of each year.
- Between April 1 and Sept. 30 of each year, the only visitors under age 12 allowed to visit are siblings of infant patients.
Words and actions can affect those around you. Our patients, employees, and guests matter to us, and this includes you. Please help us create a space of respect and healing.