Policies

Before visiting a patient at a VA facility, review these guidelines:　

Visiting hours:

Call the medical center for specific ward visiting hours and information:
214-742-8387 or 800-849-3597

All visitors will be screened for COVID-19, and only visitors without symptoms will be permitted to enter and must comply with mandatory masking, social distancing and any other applicable PPE requirements.

• Outpatient Areas: Up to two essential caregivers per patient (e.g., driver for post procedure, PTSD or MH patient, incoherent or patient incapable of understanding, immobile patient [wheelchair]).
• Inpatient Areas: Patients may receive up to two visitors per day, but there may only be up to two visitors per room at any given time, regardless of the number of patients in the room.  Visits are only allowed from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and up to a one-hour duration.  The Nurse Manager (admin hours) or House Supervisor (after-hours or weekends) reserves the right to grant exceptions or enforce further limitations on a case-by-case basis.
• CLC/SCI: Adhere to CLC Moving Forward Plan v3.0, or the most recent CLC/SCI-specific VHA guidance, in accordance with prevailing local circumstances.

Visiting church members:
If you’re a member of the religious community, we encourage you to visit patients who belong to your church or religious group. However, you’re not allowed to do general visitation by going from bed to bed, ward to ward, or unit to unit.　

Bringing food:
You may bring small amounts of candy, fruit, and other food items if the nursing staff says they are appropriate for a patient's diet. You may not bring fresh fruit and flowers to patients who are receiving critical care, and you can’t eat or drink in those units.

Washing hands:
You must follow hand-hygiene policy guidelines, which require you to practice good hand hygiene when you enter and exit patient rooms, and at other times as directed by staff.

Following infection-control guidelines:
You must follow guidelines on infection-control signs and report to the nurses' station for instructions before you enter a patient's room.

Staying home if you are ill:
If you have a communicable disease, please do not visit patients in our medical centers.

Prohibited items
You're not allowed to bring weapons, cameras, or other prohibited items into the medical center, except when you're conducting official business authorized by the Director or their designee. If you have questions about what qualifies as official business, please contact the facility's Director.　

Giving privacy:
Our staff may ask you to leave the room when they’re caring for patients. If a staff member asks you to leave a patient's room, you may continue your visit in the day room, waiting area, or any other public area of the facility.

Visiting seriously ill patients:
There will be no visitation for inpatient units with the exception of compassionate care or end of life.  Compassionate care or end of life will only be allowed 2 visitors at a time.

Visiting patients in restraints:
In general, you won't be allowed to visit patients who are in restraints. If the treatment team decides that your visit could have a positive effect on the patient, then you may have a supervised visit with the patient when a staff member removes the restraints. Our staff will document how the patient responds to you and other visitors.　

Bringing children to visit:
Children can visit or accompany patients at any of our campuses. For infection-control and safety reasons, however, children under the age of 16 are not allowed to visit certain specialty-care units. All children must be directly supervised by an adult. Children's bedside visits are limited to 15 minutes.

Visiting psychiatric units with children:
Children under the age of 16 may visit patients in psychiatric units only with the doctor’s permission.

Limiting your visit:
Our doctors may limit, restrict, or deny visits for the medical well-being of a patient.  We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. 

Prohibited items:
You can't bring weapons, alcohol, or illegal drugs into the building.  Because the VA medical center is federal property, all visitors and bags may be searched.

Smoking

VA North Texas is a smoke-free campus. This applies to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, or any other combustion of tobacco, including but not limited to electronic or e-cigarettes, vape pens, or e-cigars.

Security 
The VA police patrol the buildings and parking lots every hour of every day.

Office of Resolution Management, Diversity & Inclusion (ORMDI)