Rush hospitals are committed to delivering the best care possible, while keeping our patients and staff safe. To do this, we may need to adjust our visiting hours and policies. We’ll continue to update this page with the information you need about these policies.
Updated April 3, 2025
At Rush, we know how important it is for loved ones to be part of a patient's healing process. Our visitor policy is designed to preserve the health and safety of our patients, staff, visitors and students. To keep everyone on campus safe, we follow all city, regional and state emergency preparedness guidelines. We frequently evaluate our guidelines — as we adjust those guidelines, we update this page to keep our valued patients and families up to date.
For the health and safety of everyone on campus, we require all visitors to abide by Rush safety practices, including those related to public health, infection prevention and control, and security. To help create a safe and healing environment, Rush does not tolerate aggressive behavior of any kind, whether verbal or physical. All visitors must provide identification and wear a visitor badge, with some exceptions for minors (see below).
Masking: With community transmission levels of seasonal respiratory viruses currently low, masking in most hospital areas is currently optional for patients and visitors. Mandatory masking be reinstated in the future as circumstances demand.
Rush University Medical Center Visitor Policy Details
- Inpatient visitation hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. All visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Minors must wear a badge; however, an ID is not required and a photo is optional.
- Visitors must adhere to any isolation precautions relevant to the patient being visited.
Inpatient
- Two visitors are allowed at the patient’s bedside at a time.
- Additional visitors may wait in unit lounges or public spaces.
- Exceptions may be considered for critically ill or end-of-life patients; talk to a nurse or a member of the care team if you have questions.
Emergency Department
- Adult patients may have one visitor at the bedside.
- Pediatric patients may have two parents or guardians at the bedside.
- Exceptions may be considered for critically ill or end-of-life patients; talk to a nurse or a member of the care team if you have questions.
Procedures, Surgeries and Diagnostic Testing
- Patients having surgery or a procedure may have two support people with them in the surgical waiting areas.
- Additional visitors will be allowed to wait in public waiting areas on the fourth floor.
- Patients at the medical center for outpatient laboratory or diagnostic testing (radiology, laboratory) may have two support people with them.
- Additional visitors will be allowed to wait in public waiting areas on the fourth floor.
Overnight Stays
- One adult independent support person of the patient's choice may be allowed to stay in the room with the patient overnight in the following areas:
- NICU
- Adult ICUs
- All general medical/surgical units
- Mother/Baby Unit
- Two parents or parent surrogates over the age of 18 are allowed to stay in the patient’s room overnight in the following areas:
- General pediatrics
- Pediatric ICU
Ambulatory Care
Ambulatory clinics including outpatient surgery, lab, therapies and radiology allow two visitors per patient. Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. All visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Minors must wear a badge; however, an ID is not required and a photo is optional.
Other Guidelines
- Fresh flowers and plants are not permitted in any ICU or on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
- Latex balloons are not permitted but Mylar balloons are acceptable.
Visitor Management Guidelines
For the safety of our patients, visitors and staff, Rush University Medical Center has implemented a new visitor management system. All visitors are asked to provide a government-issued photo ID to receive a visitor badge when visiting any inpatient areas. Your picture will be taken at the security desk when you arrive, which will appear on your visitor badge.
- Examples of government issued photo ID include the following:
- Driver's license
- State ID
- US Military Credential
- Permanent resident card
- Readable international passport
- Matricula Consular ID
- Visitor's badges are issued by guest relations, security and patient access staff. Badges must be worn by visitors at all times.
- Rush is a safe and healing place. Aggressive behavior, whether verbal or physical, is not tolerated. Physical assaults will be reported to law enforcement. If a support person becomes disruptive, they will be asked to leave. Rush may, on a clinically necessary or other reasonable basis, ask a support person to leave the premises.
- Visitors visibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to visit.
- Visitors appearing ill will not be allowed to visit.
- Visitor restrictions may be initiated by the patient or patient support person. A support person visiting the patient may exercise a patient’s visitation rights on behalf of the patient with respect to other visitors when the patient is unable to do so. Rush University Medical Center will accept a patient’s designation, orally or in writing, of an individual as the patient’s support person. When a patient is incapacitated or otherwise unable to communicate their wishes and an individual provides an advance directive designating an individual as the patient’s support person, Rush will accept this designation, provide the required notice of the patient’s visitation rights, and allow the individual to exercise the patient’s visitation rights on the patient’s behalf.
Updated April 3, 2025
At Rush, we know how important it is for loved ones to be part of a patient's healing process. Our visitor policy is designed to preserve the health and safety of our patients, staff and visitors. We frequently evaluate our guidelines — as we adjust those guidelines, we update this page to keep our valued patients and families up to date.
Masking: With community transmission levels of seasonal respiratory viruses currently low, masking in most hospital areas is currently optional for patients and visitors. Mandatory masking be reinstated in the future as circumstances demand.
Inpatient
- Visiting hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
- Two visitors are allowed at patient bedside at a time.
- Additional visitors may wait in unit lounge or in public spaces.
- No time restriction placed on the visitors during visiting hours.
- No one under the age of 12 years may visit. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Family Birth Center
- Labor & Delivery
- In addition to the father and/or designated support person, the patient may have up to two additional support person(s) and a doula present during labor & delivery.
- Siblings of the newborn will be permitted to visit after delivery. A health screen will be completed on all children under the age of 12. Families should remain in the mother’s room while visiting and are to be always supervised by someone other than the patient.
- Obstetrics/Mother Baby Unit
- All patients may have two visitors in addition to the support person and may rotate during visiting hours.
- Siblings of the newborn will be permitted to visit and will be counted as one of the two visitors allowed. A health screen will be completed daily on all children under the age of 12. Families should remain in the mother’s room while visiting and are to be always supervised by someone other than the patient.
- Children, other than siblings 12 and over may visit.
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- NICU families may have two visitors per family per day with two people at the bedside (includes the parent) at a time.
- All visitors are accompanied by a parent/delivery banded person. Visitors must be 18 years old or over to visit.
Emergency Department
Emergency department patients may have two visitors with them.
Critically Ill/End of Life
The number of visitors will be managed by the care team.
Outpatient Services
Patients having outpatient clinic or hospital-based services including outpatient surgery, imaging, lab, therapies, etc., have no restrictions on visitors.
Physician Offices
Patients in physician offices have no restrictions on visitors or support people.
Check in Process for Patients and Visitors
When you arrive at Rush Copley, you will need to register at the main desk.
All patients and visitors will be screened for cough, shortness of breath, fever, recent illness or exposure to a COVID positive person within the past 10 days before entering our facilities. Anyone who has been exposed or has any of these symptoms may not be able to visit and will be given further instructions.
You will be issued a badge. Wear your badge so it is easy to see. Please make sure your visitor’s badge is always visible. If it is not visible, a member of RUSH Copley’s staff may ask you to show it to them. You must check out. When you are ready to leave RUSH Copley, stop by the main desk to check out and return your visitor’s badge.
Updated April 3, 2025
At Rush, we know how important it is for loved ones to be part of a patient's healing process. Our visitor policy is designed to preserve the health and safety of our patients, staff, visitors and students. To keep everyone on campus safe, we follow all city, regional and state emergency preparedness guidelines. We frequently evaluate our guidelines — as we adjust those guidelines, we update this page to keep our valued patients and families up to date.
For the health and safety of everyone on campus, we required all visitors to abide by Rush safety practices, including those related to public health, infection prevention and control, and security. To help create a safe and healing environment, Rush does not tolerate aggressive behavior of any kind, whether verbal or physical. All visitors must provide identification and wear a visitor badge, with some exceptions for minors (see below).
Masking: With community transmission levels of seasonal respiratory viruses currently low, masking in most hospital areas is currently optional for patients and visitors. Mandatory masking be reinstated in the future as circumstances demand.
Rush Oak Park Hospital Visitor Policy Details
- Inpatient visitation hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. All visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Minors must wear a badge; however, an ID is not required and a photo is optional.
- Visitors must adhere to any isolation precautions relevant to the patient being visited.
Inpatient
- Two visitors are allowed at the patient’s bedside at a time.
- Additional visitors may wait in unit lounges or public spaces.
- Exceptions may be considered for critically ill or end-of-life patients; talk to a nurse or a member of the care team if you have questions.
Emergency Department
- Adult patients may have one visitor at the bedside.
- Pediatric patients may have two parents or guardians at the bedside.
- Exceptions may be considered for critically ill or end-of-life patients; talk to a nurse or a member of the care team if you have questions.
Ambulatory Care
Ambulatory clinics including outpatient surgery, lab, therapies and radiology allow two visitors per patient. Visitors must be 12 years of age or older. All visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Minors must wear a badge; however, an ID is not required and a photo is optional.
Other Guidelines
- Fresh flowers and plants are not permitted in any ICU.
- Latex balloons are not permitted but Mylar balloons are acceptable.