Information for Visitors to a UPMC Hospital

Patient Visitation and Support Persons Guidelines Across UPMC

Support persons are important members of the care team. They are essential to creating a healing experience for our patients.

UPMC has lifted our patient support person guidelines developed for the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of support persons is no longer limited, and visitors under age 2 are permitted in areas where masking is not required. We also have returned to pre-pandemic visiting hours.

Some special circumstances may exist within ICUs, NICUs, OB settings, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and UPMC Western Behavioral Health locations. If you have questions about visitation guidelines, please contact the location before you visit.


New Masking Guidelines

At UPMC, your health and safety are our top priorities.

UPMC has used universal masking as an effective tool to prevent transmission of COVID-19 when the virus was prevalent in the community and the possibility of serious complications and consequences of infection were high.

As of Monday, May 1, 2023, masks are no longer required at most UPMC facilities and locations under the current universal masking guidelines. This decision is based on data showing sustained lower levels of COVID-19 activity and the availability of vaccines to provide protection against serious complications.

UPMC remains an environment welcoming of those choosing to mask, and masks will remain widely available. Note that masking will remain required in specific patient care areas.

In areas where masking is not required:

  • Masks remain available. People are permitted, encouraged, and supported in wearing a mask if they so choose.
  • Patients may ask health care workers caring for them to mask.

UPMC experts continually assess the level of risk due to SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal respiratory viruses as they evolve. We will update these guidelines accordingly.

Masking Remains Required in Certain Areas

Masking remains required for everyone (staff, patients, visitors, and support persons) in clinical areas where there are patients with conditions making them most vulnerable to infection. Those include:

  • Bone marrow transplant units.
  • Solid organ transplant units.

In areas where patients with conditions making them most vulnerable to infection:

  • Masks are mandatory for staff. Staff must wear masks at all times during patient interactions and anywhere patients are or could be present.
  • Patients, support persons, and visitors must wear masks anytime a health care worker is present.
  • Patients may remove their mask when alone.
  • Masking is encouraged but not required when only a patient and support person are present together in these areas.
  • Standard and transmission-based precautions and the COVID-19 PPE Plan remain in effect.

Masking For Standard and Transmission-based Precautions and PPE Plan

Masking may be required for patients, staff, and visitors when part of standard and transmission-based precautions (isolation precautions) and the COVID-19 PPE Plan, including for positive COVID-19 patients.

Check for signage and other designations throughout UPMC facilities and locations to ensure you are masked appropriately for precautions.

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Contact Us

UPMC
200 Lothrop St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582
412-647-8762
1-800-533-8762

Submit a question or comment online about your visit to a UPMC facility.

Visiting Hours

Family and friends are very important to a patient's healing process. 

Please talk with the patient's nurse to coordinate appropriate times to visit.

For visiting hours and other guidelines for each hospital, see the links to UPMC hospital-specific visitor information below.

Systemwide Guidelines and Resources for Visitors

On this page:


Hospital-Specific Visitor Information

For hospital-specific visitor information, including directions and parking information, select the link to the UPMC hospital you'll be visiting:

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Links to Hotels and Accommodations

Pittsburgh region

Information about hotel accommodations in the Pittsburgh region, including East (Monroeville) and North (Cranberry), can be found at VisitPittsburgh.com.

Family House

Family House is a nonprofit licensed organization that provides a special "home away from home" affordable housing for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for treatment of serious or life-threatening illnesses.

By providing a friendly, home-like setting, Family House strives to make a difference in the quality of the families' lives while they're here.

Located in the Oakland and Shadyside sections of Pittsburgh, Family House has 130 guest rooms across four, freestanding houses:

  • Family House Shadyside
  • Family House Neville
  • Family House University Place

Rooms start at $68/night and additional discounts may be available.

For housing information:

UPMC Altoona

UPMC Altoona's hospitality houses are available to accommodate family members of patients.

We also have rate and service agreements for patient families with the Courtyard by Marriott Altoona at 2 Convention Center Drive, and Hampton Inn on 180 Charlotte Drive.

Visit UPMC Altoona to learn more.

UPMC Hamot

UPMC Hamot’s Information Desk staff will be happy to help you or your family with a hotel reservation. The Information Desk is located in the Main Lobby.

You may also call them at 814-877-7007, between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. After 7:30 p.m., you may ask any staff member to put you in contact with a nursing supervisor.

Visit UPMC Hamot to learn more.

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To Prevent Infection

To protect the well-being of our patients and employees, we ask that you take the following precautions:

  • People who are coughing, sneezing, or ill must not visit. If you need to cough or sneeze while visiting, please cover your mouth and nose with your arm.
  • All visitors should wash their hands upon entering and leaving patient rooms.
  • When isolation is called for, visitors must take all isolation precautions as the doctor or nurse directs.
  • Please do not use patient restrooms unless the patient is in a private room and gives consent.

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Cell Phone and Mobile Device Usage Policy

Please read and follow all posted signs in the hospital regarding restrictions on the use of:

  • Cell phones
  • Wireless computers
  • Other wireless devices that transmit radio signals

Do not use cell phones or any wireless devices within six feet of medical equipment in patient care areas.

Restrictions may also exist in hospital areas such as:

  • Operating rooms
  • Transplant intensive care rooms
  • Radiology imaging rooms

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Clean Air/Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus

In conjunction with our mission of supporting healthy lifestyles, UPMC is committed to a healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff.

Effective July 1, 2014, UPMC made significant changes to the Clean Air/Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus policy.

This means — in addition to having a smoke-free campus — our employees, physicians, volunteers, contractors, students, and others acting for UPMC no longer are permitted to smoke or use tobacco products on UPMC property.

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