FOR PATIENTS
If you would like to find a patient in the hospital, please call the Hospital Operator at (408) 885-5000. Listen for the direction to ask for the Operator (or push "O") and they will be able to connect you to the patient's room or give you the room number.
VISITOR POLICY
It is the policy of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC), O’Connor Hospital (OCH), and St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) (collectively “Enterprise”) to ensure the safety and security of patients, visitors, and staff on Enterprise Campuses and to periodically re-evaluate security processes based on community and national issues, and incidents occurring on the campuses. Access to Enterprise Campuses (defined below) is restricted at all times to individuals who are obtaining or seeking health care, accompanying, or visiting patients or staff, or conducting Lawful Business (defined below) with, or on behalf of, the County of Santa Clara (County). The County recognizes the importance of contact with family members and friends for the mental and physical wellbeing of patients. The County does not restrict visitors based on race, color, gender, national origin, disability, age, religion, marital status, citizenship, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected classification.
Under the law, every patient has the right, subject to his or her consent, to receive the visitors whom they designate including, but not limited to, a spouse, domestic partner (including a same sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend, and the right to deny such consent at any time. In reference to visitation, family includes any person who plays a significant role in an individual’s life, regardless of gender, and even if not legally related to the individual. All visitors enjoy full and equal visitation privileges consistent with patient preferences. Patients or their surrogates must be informed of these rights.
VISITING HOURS
- General visiting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily subject to the Visiting Guidelines noted below. Operators will announce the end of general visiting hours each day.
- Patients may designate one or two individuals at a time to remain in the room with the patient outside of general visiting hours subject to the Visiting Guidelines noted below. Generally, during visiting hours, the expectation is that only a few visitors per patient are present at any one time so that there is no disruption to patient care. Additional visitors may be granted for critically ill, comfort care patients and labor and delivery with the approval of the unit manager or designee and subject to the Visiting Guidelines noted below.
- All visitors who remain on Enterprise Campus after general visiting hours must have appropriate visitor identification issued by the Protective Services Department or other Security Officer.
- Patients and their surrogates are informed of this policy at the time of admission.
- Patients who are cognitively impaired or lack capacity and have no surrogate must have their visiting wishes considered.
- Patients may withdraw their consent to visitor(s) at any time.
- For Custody patients, follow VMC Policy #393.0 - Custody
- For Acute Psychiatric Services patients, follow APS Policy A-4556-0007 Inpatient Visitation – BAP and #A-4556-0221 Patient Visitation – EPS
VISITING CHILDREN
- Children under 14 years of age may visit with the permission of the attending physician or charge nurse. Children under 14 years of age must be screened by a physician or nurse for prodromal signs of respiratory illness or rash prior to visiting any patient. See hospital site Infection Prevention policy. Children of any age may visit in the Women and Children’s units, after appropriate screening. Children who show signs of respiratory illness or rash at screening may not be permitted to visit.
- Children under 14 years of age may not visit a patient with neutropenia or who is otherwise immunocompromised.
- All children must be continuously under the supervision of a responsible adult, other than the patient. Unsupervised or disruptive children and the responsible adult may be asked to leave.
- Responsible adults must hold infants and toddlers in their arms or supervise them in car seats or strollers at all times.
- No child may sit or play on the floor or in the patient’s bed.
GENERAL VISITING GUIDELINES
To ensure that all patients enjoy visitors in a safe and secure environment, the following guidelines must be enforced. Visitation may be limited by the care team or hospital administration for failure to comply with the guidelines noted below, in response to public health and other crises, and for any other reason that may present a safety or security risk to patients or others, including if there are too many visitors at one time for a patient. Staff should notify their manager or supervisor for assistance in enforcing these guidelines. The Protective Services Department or Security Office may also be called at any time to assist.
- Visiting may be restricted due to patient’s need for privacy or rest
- Visiting may be restricted due to need for privacy or rest by another individual in the patient’s shared room.
- Visiting may be restricted if there is a health, safety, or infection risk to patient, visitor, or others.
- Visiting may be restricted as needed because of a pandemic or infectious disease outbreak.
- Staff may impose reasonable limitations on the number of visitors at any one time consistent with the guidelines of this policy, space limitations, safety, security, and needs of the patient.
- Visitors with cough, cold or respiratory symptoms may be restricted by the care team or Hospital Administration from visiting the patient.
- Visitors are expected to comply with instructions given by the staff about the use of personal protective equipment needed when entering and exiting the patient room.
- Visitors may not engage in behavior presenting a risk or threat to the patient, hospital staff, or others in the immediate environment.
- Visitors may not engage in behavior that disrupts the functioning of the patient care unit or treatment area.
- Visitors must comply with visitor security procedures established by Hospital Administration and the Protective Services/Security Department.
- Visitors may not engage in behavior that creates a messy or unclean environment.
- Large family gatherings in patient care areas are not allowed for safety and security reasons.
- Visiting may be restricted if there are any substance abuse treatment protocols or other treatment protocols requiring restricted visitation.
- Children under 14 years must pass screening requirements per Infection Prevention protocol before visiting the patient and must comply with all Visiting Children requirements noted above.
- Visitors may not congregate in corridors or other non-established waiting areas. Visitors in waiting areas above the number allowed by Fire Marshall must remain on the first floor of the hospital.
- Smoking is not allowed anywhere on Enterprise Campuses.
- Visitors for Custody patients must have permission from the Sheriff, Department of Correction, or Probation Department. See Custody policy VMC#393.0-Custody Patients for further instructions.
- Visitors must not sit or recline on patient beds.
- Staff may inquire about visitors’ recent exposures and travel, as indicated by Infection Prevention staff. Visitors who may pose a health or safety risk to patient may not be allowed to visit.
- Visiting may be limited if there are applicable court orders limiting or restraining contact with patient or others
- Staff may limit items that are brought into patient’s room for clinical or security reasons.
SECURITY PROCEDURES FOR VISITORS
- To maintain adequate security oversight, all visitors to the inpatient units shall be issued appropriate visitor identification as determined by SCVMC Administration and the Protective Services Department. The identification must be worn and visible for the duration of time noted on the identification and, upon expiration, must be deposited in designated receptacles or returned to personnel issuing the identification. Visitors who do not have appropriate identification will not be allowed on the inpatient units.
- Visitors to other areas, buildings and structures of the SCVMC Campus are not required to be issued identification, but access to these areas is restricted at all times to individuals who are obtaining or seeking health care, accompanying or visiting patients or staff, or conducting Lawful Business with, or on behalf of, the County.
- All vendors and supplier representatives must comply with SCVMC vendor policies and must have valid identification consistent with those policies.
VISITOR PARKING
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center: Hospital and Clinics offer free parking on all campuses, 24 hours per day. Please refer to the Campus Directory for designated visitor and patient parking on our main campus (751 S. Bascom Ave. San Jose, CA 95128).
VALET PARKING
As a courtesy, the main campus at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center offers patients and visitors complimentary vale parking at the front of the Women and Children’s Center Entrance from 7:00am-4:00pm (Monday – Friday) and at the Entrance area of the Emergency Room from 7:00am-12:00am (Monday-Sunday). Valet Services are closed for holidays, and all observed County holidays. Please follow the signs to locate the location you need.