Dear Children’s Center Patients and Families:

The well-being of our patients is our most important consideration when making decisions regarding visitation in the Children’s Center. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to carefully consider what is in everyone’s best interest in order to prevent the spread of the virus. We know this hasn’t been easy on you, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we worked to maintain a safe, caring environment.

We recognize how valuable it is for our pediatric patients to have both parents/caregivers at the bedside, and respect the importance parents put on being together when their child is in the hospital. After careful consideration and planning, we have made the following revisions to our policy.

Inpatient and Emergency Department Visits

• Up to four care partners may be at the bedside at the same time. Children must be accompanied by at least one care partner. Care partners and children may not exceed four total.
• Care partners must be the parents/guardians or be approved by the parents/guardians.
• Care partners may rotate during the day and care partners may stay overnight as long as there are only two care partners at the bedside at a time.
  • Applies to inpatient, all surgeries and procedures, and emergency department visits.

Intensive Care Units

Visiting hours and guidelines may vary. Please check with your care team.

For patients under investigation for COVID-19 or with confirmed COVID-19

Two identified parents or guardians may be present at the same time. The identified parents and guardians must stay with the patient in their room while visiting. Parents and guardians are encouraged to limit the number of times they come and go from the hospital. Meals for parents and guardians will be delivered and must be eaten in the room with the child.

Neonatal intensive care unit policies for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 may vary. Please check with your care team.

For patients having surgery or a procedure

Two parents/guardians may accompany patient to waiting area, prep area, and recovery area.

Outpatient Visits

• Up to two adult care partners are welcome if there is enough space.**
• Care partners may wait in the surgical waiting room if there is enough seating.**
• One adult care partner may be with the patient in the prep and recovery areas if there is enough space.**

Maternal Fetal Medicine, Fetal Assessment; Fetal Therapy; or Perinatal Ultrasound

Up to two care partners are welcome if there is enough seating.**

• Children under 16 years old who cannot be supervised by the adult patient throughout the visit are not allowed to accompany patient.

Pediatric Office Visits

Up to two care partners may come with the patient to the visit. The care partners may be two adults, or one adult and one child.*

*Care partners who are breastfeeding/chestfeeding an infant age 8 months or younger may bring the infant to appointments if no other care option is available.

** Depending on the size of the space and the number of individuals in an area, the clinical team may ask care partners to wait in an alternative space. If there is not enough seating in waiting areas, please check with the care team about additional options for areas to wait. Due to space limitations, the amount of care partners permitted in waiting rooms may vary by hospital and location.

See Johns Hopkins Medicine's full visitor guidelines.

Thank you for understanding the reasoning behind why we are taking these important measures. The health and safety of our patients, families and staff is, and always will be, our main priority.

Sincerely,

Margaret Moon, M.D., M.P.H.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics 

Dawn Luzetsky, R.N., D.N.P.
Senior Director of Nursing

David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Director
Surgeon-in-Chief