For the comfort of our patients, only two visitors are permitted at any one time (exceptions are outlined below). Talk with the charge nurse in your unit if you would like to have additional visitors. All visitors must wear shirts and shoes and be free of communicable diseases. Children are able to visit in most units, but they must be accompanied and properly supervised by a non-patient adult at all times. The child is considered one of the two patient visitors. Children may visit the Intensive Care Unit patients at the discretion of the ICU staff.
Visiting Hours
General Patient Care Areas (Non-ICU)
Ohio State’s Medical Center encourages and facilitates visitation in a manner that promotes healing, balances the needs of all patients and visitors, and creates a safe and secure environment. Visitation is 24 hours a day in most areas of the Medical Center; however, certain areas may have shorter visitation due to special patient conditions. Please check with staff in the patient care unit to confirm the policy for that area. Some variations in the policy include:
- University Hospital, Ross Heart Hospital, The James: Visitation is limited to one visitor per patient from 10 p.m. – 5 a.m.
- University Hospital East: Visitation is limited to one visitor per patient 9 p.m. – 5 a.m.
- Dodd Hall: 10 a.m.– 10 p.m.
- OSU Harding Hospital
--Adult Unit (3rd floor) and Older Adult Unit (2nd floor)
Monday to Friday: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday/Sunday/Holidays: 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
--Child & Adolescent Unit (4th floor)
Monday to Friday: 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday/Holidays: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit: 10:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
- Intensive Care Unit: hours vary – please check with unit staff.
All overnight visitors must review the overnight visitation guidelines and wear an identification badge at all times. Both are available from the Information desk. Please note that overnight visitation is available in private and semi-private rooms.
Cell Phones/Electronic Equipment
For the safety of our patients, cell phones and other radio transmitting devices should not be used in patient care areas. They must be turned off, not just placed on standby. Signals from these devices can interfere with patient care equipment and put patients in danger. Unit nursing staff needs to approve other electronic equipment that you would like to use during your stay. There are designated areas where cell phones may be used. These areas are clearly identified with signage and are located in:
University Hospital/Ross Heart Hospital/Dodd Hall
• Rhodes Hall lobby (1st floor)
• Seasons Cafe
• Atrium (5th floor of Rhodes Hall)
• Labor and Delivery waiting area (6th floor Doan Hall)
• Crossover between Rhodes and Doan Halls (Floors 7 – 11)
• Hallway to 12th Avenue Garage
• Wendy’s dining area
• Dodd Hall, except the GCRC Nursing Unit on the 2nd floor
University Hospital East
• Main lobby (1st floor)
• Wallace Auditorium
• Seasons Garden Café (ground floor)
• Crossover between tower and west wing (Floors 3 – 5)
• Waiting area on Tower 4
James
• James main lobby (1st floor)
• Hallway to 12th Avenue Garage
• Wendy’s dining area
• Crossover between The James and Doan Hall (Floors 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10)
Help Prevent the Spread of Infection
Hospital staff routinely take precautions when caring for patients to help prevent the spread of infection. For your health and that of the other patients, visitors and staff, we ask that you join us in preventing the spread of infection by following these simple guidelines:
- Clean your hands often! For example: before eating or after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing or handling common items such as a telephone.
- Clean your hands with the alcohol hand rub product that is conveniently located in all patient care areas
OR
- Clean with soap and water for at least 15 seconds
- Do not visit a patient if you have a cough, cold or other signs of illness. If you must visit, clean your hands before your visit and ask a staff member for a mask.
- Before bringing live plants or fresh produce into the hospital, check with hospital staff first. To protect patients from germs that live on plants or in the dirt, live plants are not allowed in some areas.
- Not all patients require the same kind of isolation. Staff and visitors may be asked to wear gloves, a gown and/or a mask.
Mail, Flowers and Balloons
Medical Center volunteers deliver patient mail every morning. Flowers are delivered by volunteers weekdays before 4 p.m. for University Hospital, The James, Ross Heart Hospital and OSU Harding Hospital. During weekends, the florist delivers flowers directly to each patient. At University Hospital East, flowers are delivered directly by florists every day.
Please note the following restrictions:
Due to the special environment and care of our patients in our intensive care units and The James, we do not permit live plants or cut flowers to be delivered to patients in these areas.
If you wish to send or present balloons to Medical Center patients, please use "mylar" balloons. Because of latex allergy concerns, latex balloons are not permitted in any Medical Center building.
The address for each Medical Center building is:
University Hospital
Rhodes Hall/Doan Hall
Attention: (patient name & room #)
The Ohio State University Medical Center
410 W.10th Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1228
Dodd Rehabilitation
Attention: (patient name & room #)
The Ohio State University Medical Center
480 W. Ninth Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1290
The James
Attention: (patient name and room number)
300 W. Tenth Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
Ross Heart Hospital
Attention: (patient name and room number)
452 W. 10th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210
OSU Harding Hospital
Attention: (patient name and room number)
The Ohio State University Medical Center
473 W. 12th Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1228
University Hospital East
Attention: (patient name and room number)
1492 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43205
