We have visitor policies in place to help keep our patients, staff and communities safe. We make changes to our policies based on the community spread of COVID-19 and other factors. Please check the visitor policy at your local hospital or outpatient clinic before coming to one of our locations.

If you come to Northwestern Medicine for an inpatient surgery or procedure, your care team will order a COVID-19 test for you. You will have this test before the day of your appointment.

• If you have symptoms of COVID-19 on the day of your appointment, please call your care team to cancel.
• If you come to your appointment with symptoms, we will care for you or, if your symptoms are mild, we will ask you to return home.

We also screen people who come to Northwestern Medicine outpatient departments and clinics.

• We will ask you about COVID-19 symptoms when you schedule your appointment.
• We will also screen you and your companion for symptoms when you come to your appointment.

If you come to a Northwestern Medicine hospital to visit someone, we will screen you for symptoms at the hospital entrance.

We will give you a medical mask to wear while in our facilities.

• You may not wear a cloth mask or a mask with an exhalation valve unless you put one of our medical masks over your mask.
• Learn about guidance for use of masks and how to wear a face mask.

With the exception of inpatients who are in their hospital rooms and children under age 2, everyone must wear a mask while in our facilities.

If you come to Northwestern Medicine for an outpatient appointment, you must keep your mask on at all times unless a care team member asks you to remove it.

• Keep your mask on even when a care team member is not in the exam room with you.

If you cannot wear a mask due to a disability or medical condition, you can contact your physician’s office to schedule a telehealth visit instead. If this is not an option, talk to your physician about a reasonable accommodation.

Keeping hands and surfaces clean helps reduce the chance of spreading germs.

Our Environmental Services teams continue to focus on detailed cleaning in our hospitals and physician offices. They pay close attention to surfaces that people touch often, such as doors and countertops.

We have hand sanitizer stations for your use throughout our facilities.