Hospital and Outpatient Visitation Policy

Effective February 1, 2023

Skagit Regional Health recognizes the importance of family and friends in a patient’s healing process. We also are committed to protecting our patients, families, employees and the community. For everyone’s safety, visitors must follow the rules below. Failure to follow these rules will result in loss of visitor privileges. Our visitor policy is subject to change based on the prevalence of COVID-19 disease in our community.

Skagit Regional Health has adjusted our visitor policy to keep our patients, visitors, and caregivers safe – while supporting our patients and their families. For patients in our inpatient and observation care units at Skagit Valley Hospital and Cascade Valley Hospital, we have expanded our general visitor hours and visitation is limited to two people at any given time.

A summary of the changes and requirements as of February 1, 2023 are listed below:

Visiting hours: Daily between 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Screening: As a healthcare organization, we are still required to conduct health screenings. Visitors must be in good health and should not have any active infections.

Visitors may enter Skagit Valley Hospital using the Main Entrance on Hospital Parkway, the Kincaid Entrance or the Emergency Department. 

Visitors may enter Cascade Valley Hospital using the Main Entrance.

After-hours visitor entry to the hospitals is through the Emergency Department entrance in coordination with the nursing unit.

Masking: Masking for all employees and visitors is no longer be required at any Skagit Regional Health facility. This includes hospitals, clinics and other facilities occupied by Skagit Regional Health. Likewise, patients who do not have respiratory illnesses also may go unmasked. Employees have the option of wearing masks and surgical masks will continue to be available at entrances for staff, providers, patients or visitors who desire to wear a mask. 

Staff, providers and visitors must continue to observe isolation precautions as required for patients who are in isolation.

Departments, clinics and units may have additional specific visitor guidelines, such as:

Surgical Services and cardiac catheterization lab patients may have one person accompany them pre- and post-procedure and may wait off-site or in the designated waiting area during the procedure. Waiting room space is limited.

Family Birth Centers do not have restricted visiting hours, however, the number and age of visitors may be restricted.

Mental Health Center visiting hours are 1 to 2 p.m. daily and visits must be approved and planned in advance with the treatment team.

In our outpatient clinics and hospital departments, generally, there will be no visitor restrictions for those accompanying the patient to their appointment. Some exceptions due to waiting room space limitations include:

• Limit visitors who accompany patients to Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine at Skagit Valley Hospital to those providing assistance due to physical and cognitive limitations.

Arlington Surgery Center visiting hours are from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. One visitor may arrive with the patient for check-in and may be present during discharge. If capacity is available, the visitor may wait in the in the lobby during the patient's procedure.

Food and drink: Visitors will be allowed access to the cafeterias and normal waiting room spaces. Visitors may not bring in food or drink to patient rooms, with the exception of the Family Birth Center.

COVID-19 positive patients: Visitation for COVID-19 patients or those suspected of COVID-19 is limited to those essential to the wellbeing and care of the patient as determined by the clinical care team. Examples of essential to care includes visitors for those patients who are at end of life, the spouse or partner of a COVID-19 positive mom in the Family Birth Center, or those who have a medical condition, mental health condition, developmental or cognitive condition, where the family is key to their care. Those visitors identified as critical will use appropriate PPE, similar to other patients with precautions.

Our visitation policy may change based on conditions in the community.