Hospital Policies and Procedures

We know that information about you, your health and your family is personal and sensitive in nature. At Children's Hospital Colorado, we’re committed to protecting the privacy of this information, as well as protecting the rights of our patients and their families. Below, we've outlined the hospital policies and procedures all Children's Colorado locations follow to help us provide the best care possible.

Visitation procedures for caregivers

We understand that caregivers play a vital role in the medical care process. That's why we welcome and encourage their visits.

What is a caregiver?

A caregiver is defined as a:

• Parent
• Legally authorized representative (LAR)
• Spouse/partner
• A family member or helper (paid or unpaid) picked by the patient’s parent, LAR, spouse or partner, or adult patient, who is 18 years or older

All caregivers visiting any inpatient area, emergency department, urgent care, or outpatient clinic will need to provide identification at the appropriate check-in desk. Our team members will issue a visitor's badge and provide navigation information. Caregivers will also need to pass a COVID-19 screening test.

Sibling visits

Please note that siblings under the age of 18 may not visit. If your child has special medical circumstances such as end-of-life care, we encourage you to speak with your child’s nurse about an exception for sibling visits.

Faith community, clergy or religious leader visits

We encourage faith leaders to connect with patients and families in the hospital via phone or video call. To learn about our visitor policy and determine if an in-person visit is appropriate, please contact our Spiritual Care team in advance. We look forward to connecting with you.

• To request a visit at Anschutz Medical Campus or other Denver Metro Area locations, please call 720-777-6325 or email SpiritualCare@childrenscolorado.org. 
• To request a visit in Colorado Springs or Southern Colorado, please call 719-305-6325.

COVID-19 (coronavirus) visitation update

In order to keep you and your family safe, and to reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout the state of Colorado, we've temporarily introduced new visitation restrictions. Please note that this process is fluid and being evaluated daily. We appreciate your help and understanding in keeping your child and other children protected.

Face coverings are required for everyone at all locations

All visitors, including caregivers, must wear a face covering. Due to the vulnerability of our patient population, we continue to require face coverings for everyone age 2 and older at all Children’s Colorado locations, regardless of local county ordinances. We encourage you to bring a face covering from home. We have a limited supply of homemade face coverings for visitors who do not have one.

You'll also see our doctors and nurses wearing different types of masks and protection equipment. For example, some of the masks fit over the head and almost look like an astronaut helmet. This important protective equipment helps keep everyone in our hospital safe.

See our coronavirus resources for families and read how we're keeping you safe.

COVID-19 testing

We test patients for COVID-19 prior to any surgical procedure and/or inpatient hospital admission using our in-hospital laboratory. This helps ensure that we identify and prevent the spread of COVID-19 while providing the safest care for children and protecting our healthcare workers.

A COVID-19 test is not required for a patient visit to the emergency department, nor is it required to receive necessary emergent care (including emergency surgery). Emergent surgery is a surgery requiring a life- or limb-saving procedure or a surgery that would have negative effects on a patient if postponed.

What if a caregiver tests positive for the coronavirus?

We understand that being diagnosed with COVID-19 is stressful. You may be feeling anxiety about your own health, as well as concerns about how you can stay connected with your child while they are hospitalized. Our goal is to get you back to your child’s bedside as soon as it is safe for you and your child. Once your symptoms are gone, you may visit your child.

Here are the returning visitor criteria for you to come back:

• It has been at least 10 days after symptoms started, and you have not had a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen)
• Your other symptoms are getting better