Tucson Medical Center Welcomes Back Visitors to Hospital

 Tucson Medical Center is happy to announce it has modified its visitor policy to allow loved ones to visit patients in the hospital. 

“When people have medical issues, they need their loved ones, especially when they first arrive, when they need emergency care and on their day of discharge,” said Judy Rich, CEO and President of TMC HealthCare. “Those connections are vital to healing and recovery. We are so happy to bring visitors back for our patients during these critical times.” 

Studies have found that having a friend or loved one nearby can help reduce stress in patients, which allows the body to heal quicker. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions and concern for possible spread, hospitals across the country have restricted most visitors from visiting their loved ones. 

In April, TMC began allowing patio or window visits since nearly all of the hospital’s rooms are on the ground floor and have access to a patio or window. The visits have been extremely popular with more than 125 people a day visiting loved ones at TMC through the window. 

Now, TMC HealthCare leaders are opening up more visitation options to further give patients and their loved ones the opportunity to connect. 

The modified visitor policy, which started this week, includes: 

 Emergency Department: Each patient can have one visitor once the patient has been put into a room. The visitor can wait in the Visitor Tent just outside of the E.D. until the patient has a room. 

 Day of admission: Patients can have one visitor for a short “tuck in” time to assist with getting oriented to the room. Applies to single room patients only. 

 Day of discharge: One visitor can be in the patient’s room on the day of discharge to allow clinical staff to communicate home-discharge and follow-up instructions to the patient and support person. This is limited to patients who are discharging directly to home. 

 Patio visits: During a patient’s stay, family and friends can come by for a visit through the window in the courtyard or patio outside the patient’s room. This allows them to see each other and talk on the phone at the same time. 

All visitors will be screened and masked prior to entering the building. The policy does NOT apply to COVID-19 patients or COVID-19 symptomatic patients. 

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Tucson Medical Center has been Tucson’s locally governed nonprofit hospital for more than 75 years. TMC is Southern Arizona’s leading provider for emergency care and pediatric care as well as specialty areas including women’s, maternity, cardiac care, orthopedic, neuroscience, hospice, surgical, vascular, geropsychiatric care and senior services.