Visiting Hours and Policies
What to Know When Visiting Baystate Health
Visiting Hours & Policies
Visiting hours are held daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a limit of three visitors at one time. One designated support person will be permitted to visit 24 hours per day throughout the patient's stay. Please note that some sensitive units may have more stringent rules and allow fewer than three visitors at one time.
Units with Secure Welcome entry points will have guidelines posted at unit doors. These units include Women’s Evaluation and Treatment Unit (WETU) Labor-Delivery-Recovery (LDR), Postpartum, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Baystate Children’s Hospital Children’s & Adolescents Unit (CHAD), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Adult Psychiatric Treatment Unit (APTU), BFMC Behavioral Health Unit, and Critical Care Units.
We ask that visitors (also called "care partners") share our goal in promoting a healing environment for all patients and adhere to our visiting hours and policies. Baystate Health and its employees reserve the right to ask visitors to leave a patient’s room at any time for the patient’s clinical or emotional well-being.
Ambulatory services (same day outpatient) will continue to allow one care partner per patient.
Visitors under 18 must be supervised at all times by a family member or a responsible adult assigned by the family. Staff members will be unable to assume supervision responsibilities for minors.
Infection Prevention
Masking is encouraged (but not required) in patient rooms, patient care areas, and common spaces for visitors
ALL visitors must adhere to Baystate Health infection control practices that are in effect throughout our organization:
- Practice proper hygiene: Wash hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the patient’s room.
Policy for Patients Who Have COVID-19
Policies are the same for patients who have COVID-19, except:
- Care partners and visitors must wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment).
- No children under 14 unless a designated exception applies.
Follow Our Code of Conduct
Baystate Health is committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, equitable, and respectful environment for our patients, employees, and visitors. We expect our doctors, nurses, and other employees to treat our patients and visitors with courtesy and respect as outlined in our Baystate Health Code of Conduct. We ask that our patients and visitors extend that same level of courtesy and respect to all our employees when visiting or receiving care at any of Baystate’s hospitals, clinics, or doctors’ offices.
Baystate Health will not tolerate:
- Threatening, abusive, aggressive, bullying, or violent language or behavior
- Discriminatory, disrespectful, harassing, or offensive language or behavior
- Swears, slurs or remarks targeting another’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability, language, sexuality or sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, marital status, or ancestry
- Possession of weapons, explosives, or firearms on Baystate property or in any Baystate Health facility
- Possession or use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, medical marijuana, or illegal drugs on Baystate Health property or in any Baystate Health facility
- Disruption of other patients’ care or experience
- Taking photos or videos of patients, visitors, and/or staff without permission
If you are the target of any of these behaviors, please report it to our Patient Relations Office. Visitors found violating the Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct may be asked to leave and future visits may be restricted. Patients violating the Patient and Visitor Code of Conduct may be asked to continue their care elsewhere and their future ability to obtain non-emergent care at a Baystate hospital may be suspended or terminated. Baystate may also report these actions to local law enforcement.
Thank you for helping us maintain a healing environment for all of our patients!
Plan Your Visit
When You Arrive
Visitor Screening
For the continued safety of patients, care partners and staff, all Baystate Health hospitals have implemented a visitor screening as part of our visitation policy.
All care partners will self-screen using signage at the entrances and must be free of any COVID-19 symptoms. If a visitor self-screens positively for symptoms or a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection in the past 10 days, then they will not be allowed to enter the facility.
Healthcare providers will advise any ill-appearing care partner that they must leave the hospital.
After Screening
- First head to the main information desk for help finding a patient room, navigating the hospital, or any other questions.
- Wash your hands (or use hospital hand sanitizer) before entering the patient’s room and when leaving.
Parking & Valet
Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Children's Hospital
Free parking 24 hours a day/seven days a week. Valet services are at the following locations:
- Daly lobby: 8 am – 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
- Wesson lobby: 8 am – 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
- Chestnut Building: 7:30 am – 3:30 pm, Monday - Friday
- Emergency Department: 9 am – 12 am, Monday – Friday
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
Parking is available at the main entrance and ground floor entrance for patients and visitors.
Baystate Wing Hospital
Parking is available at the main entrance and at 1st floor entrance for patients and visitors.
Visitor Entrances
Baystate Medical Center and Baystate Children's Hospital
- Daly and Wesson entrances: 759 Chestnut Street
- Chestnut Building – Main entrance under the canopy
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
- Baystate Franklin Medical Center main entrance: 164 High Street
- Ground floor entrance on Sanderson Street
Baystate Noble Hospital
- Main Lobby and Surgical Services entrances only
Baystate Wing Hospital
- Baystate Wing Hospital Main Entrance (ground floor)
- Baystate Wing Hospital Day Surgery Entrance (first floor)
- Baystate Wing Hospital Emergency Room Entrance (ground floor)
Food and Flowers
Food
Food brought from home must be eaten right away, as it cannot be refrigerated or microwaved. Care partners should not eat in patient rooms.
Flowers
You can bring outside flowers into the hospital. Exceptions: Flowers are not allowed for patients in ICU or vulnerable to infection.
Baystate is Cashless
Please be aware, beginning October 1, 2023, Baystate Health is going cashless and will no longer accept cash. We will accept all forms of credit cards, debit cards, and personal checks.
Cash-to-card kiosks are available at our Baystate Health hospitals for those with cash to convert cash into a physical prepaid card for use.
Prenatal, Labor & Delivery, and Newborn Visits
Prenatal/Ultrasound Appointments
1 support person/care partner is allowed.
Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum areas
Unrestricted visitors and visiting hours are allowed to promote support and bonding for the family. Baystate Health may impose reasonable limitations on the number of visitors to ensure a safe and healing environment.
Women’s Evaluation &Treatment Unit (WETU)
One designated support person is permitted in WETU. If the patient changes to an admitted status, Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum visitation will apply, space permitting.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Continuing Care Nursery (CCN)
Both parents may visit the newborn together.
Baystate Maternal Fetal Medicine
One visitor is allowed with you at the time of your ultrasound regardless of their age. Visitors under 5 years of age are discouraged. For their safety, children cannot be allowed to wait unattended in the waiting room.
Personal Items
Our goal is to provide the essential items our patients need while in our hospital. During visitation hours personal belongings may be brought in by care partners/visitor. All belongings need to be in a container (e.g. bag or backpack).
If items are brought in loose, they will need to be put into a large clear plastic zip-top bag which will be provided at the entrances. Please reasonably limit items to keep our patients’ rooms neat, safe and clean for all.
Baystate Health will not be responsible for lost or stolen personal items.
See what to expect when staying at the hospital, including bringing items from outside, support and amenities, and leaving the hospital.
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