Masking & Visiting U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics
Updated Oct 3, 2024
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah Health has transitioned to optional masking in most clinical locations for patients, visitors, faculty, and staff. However, we still require masking in specific waiting room areas and patient care rooms to protect our highly immunocompromised patients. Learn more about U of U Health locations that require masking.
U of U Health’s decision to end mandatory masking is based on careful thought from our infectious disease experts and in close partnership with health experts in Utah. We will continually review the latest respiratory virus trends, and may make changes to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors, and employees.
We ask everyone to please be welcoming and respectful of anyone who decides to wear a mask out of personal preference, individual risk factors, or as required for illness symptoms. The change in masking policies at health care facilities should give people confidence that we can live with the virus and can go on with normal life.
At this time, the following Masking & Visiting Policy is in place at U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics, and Huntsman Cancer Hospital. (Guidelines in individual units or clinics are determined by that area's clinical care team and may be subject to change.)
U of U Health Locations Where Masking Is Required
We still require masking in areas where highly immunocompromised patients are treated. Employees and providers are asked to mask if the patient they are caring for is masked. In ambulatory settings, symptomatic patients and the employees and providers who care for them should wear masks. Clinical areas may require masking when there is concern for exposure or spread of a respiratory virus.
Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital (Inpatient)*
All patients, visitors, and employees must wear masks in the patient rooms of the following areas:
- Bone Marrow Transplant Unit & Hematology Unit
- Huntsman Intensive Care Unit
*Other hospitalized patients identified as having a highly immunocompromised state may also be placed on masking precautions.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Hospital (Inpatient)*
All patients, visitors, and employees must wear masks in all patient rooms of the following areas:
- NICU
- NCCN
- ICN/Transition Nurseries
*Other hospitalized patients identified as having a highly immunocompromised state may also be placed on masking precautions.
Huntsman Cancer Institute (Outpatient)
All patients, visitors, and employees must wear masks in the waiting room and patient rooms of the following areas:
- Huntsman Cancer Institute BMT Infusion Center
- Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic
- Hematology Clinic
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Hospital (Outpatient)
All patients, visitors, and employees must wear masks in the following areas:
- Cardiovascular Clinic: Patient rooms with heart transplant recipients
- Kidney & Liver Clinic: Patient rooms with transplant recipients
- Infectious Disease/Pulmonary Clinic: Patient rooms with immunocompromised patients
Who Should Still Wear a Mask?
For your safety, we strongly encourage you to continue masking if you:
- are highly immunocompromised
- are a transplant recipient,
- are a cancer patient, or
- received Evusheld (antibody injections to prevent COVID-19) in the past.
To keep everyone safe, we ask others to wear a mask if they've been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing cold, flu, or other respiratory symptoms.
Visiting Policy In Effect
GENERAL GUIDELINES
- All individuals must be free of illness
- All individuals must follow current U of U Health masking guidance
OUTPATIENT FACILITIES AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
- No visitor restrictions
HOSPITALS AND INPATIENT AREAS
- Visiting hours are 5:00am – 10:00pm daily
- Patients can have up to 4 visitors at a time ages 5 and older
- An overnight visitor can be requested (requests will be considered on an individual basis following consultation with the patient’s clinical care team)
EXCEPTIONS
Emergency Department
- Patients may have up to 2 visitors at a time
Huntsman Cancer Hospital
- Patients in outpatient or infusion areas can have up to 2 visitors at a time ages 14 and older
- Inpatient BMT/Hematology may only have 2 visitors at a time ages 14 years or older
Huntsman Mental Health Institute — formerly the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI):
- Adult Services: One in-person visit with one visitor (18+ years old) per day
- Youth Services: One in-person visit with two parents/guardians (18+ years old) per day
Visits must be coordinated through the Health Unit Coordinator (HUC) in order to facilitate cleaning between visits. Each visit is limited to 30 minutes.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Orthopaedic Center (UOC)
- Patients in inpatient units or having surgical procedures may have 2 visitors at a time.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ of Utah Hospital — Childbirth & Newborns:
Inpatient Setting:
- Labor & delivery patients may have 3 healthy visitors ages 12 and older per private room at a time. Visitors may switch throughout the day. Healthy children under 12 may visit if they are siblings of the newborn and are allowed beyond the 3-visitor limit. Children must be accompanied by an adult who is not the patient.
- Antepartum/postpartum patients, as well as those in Women's Special Care, may have 4 visitors ages 12 and older per private room at a time. Visitors may switch throughout the day. Healthy children under 12 may visit if they are siblings of the newborn and are allowed beyond the 4-visitor limit. Children must be accompanied by an adult who is not the patient.
- Babies in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and associated nurseries may have a list of 4 approved visitors ages 12 and older (consisting of the baby's mother and 3 additional individuals). These individuals must stay the same during the entire stay. Each newborn may only have 2 visitors at the bedside at a time. No visitors under the age of 12 are permitted.