At Upper Chesapeake Health, we recognize that visitation at our hospitals by family members, friends and clergy is an important part of the healing process for our patients. To ensure the well being and safety of our patients, we do ask our visitors to follow these guidelines. Our healthcare team may modify guidelines to meet the special needs of a patient.

Visitation Hours

• Our hospitals, Harford Memorial and Upper Chesapeake Medical Center offer  visitation from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. in most areas with extended visitation available from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. with the exception of our Behavioral Health and Intensive Care Units.
• Family, friends, and children accompanied by an adult are welcome.
• Accommodations are available for overnight visitation, depending on the condition of the patient.
• Visitation on any unit may be limited at the discretion of the healthcare team based on the patient's condition and level of need.
• Children under the age of 10 shall not be left unattended at any time while in the hospital and must be under the direct supervision of a responsible adult to assure a safe environment for the child and patient.
• Signage at the main entrance will specify visiting policy and directions on how to enter the building when the main entrance is closed at night.
• At Harford Memorial Hospital, during visitation hours, visitors will utilize the Lewis Street and Main entrances. The Emergency Department entrance is to be used during extended visitation hours.
• At Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, visitors will utilize the Main Entrance. During extended visitation hours, the Emergency Department Entrance will be utilized. A sign will provide instructions to persons coming to the Main Entrance after the door is locked.
• The Family Birthplace Entrance is for use of visitors to Family Birthplace patients ONLY.
  

Unit Specific Visitation

• Behavioral Health Unit at HMH Visiting Hours
  Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7-8 p.m.
  Tuesdays and Fridays 2-3 p.m.
  Saturdays and Sundays 7-8 p.m.
  
• Family Birthplace and Women and Children Services at UCMC
  The public doors to the Family Birthplace and WCS will require access with either a card reader badge or opening by a team member between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Visitors may use the intercom to request to visit a patient. The nurse will consult with the patient regarding her wishes to have visitors and comply with those wishes.
  
• ICU at Both Hospitals
  

  We strive to create a healing and compassionate environment by providing the finest in care, courtesy, and service to all persons with whom we interact.  As part of our care, courtesy and service we welcome visitors because we know our patients benefit from having their loved ones with them during an illness, especially a serious illness.

   

  When you arrive for your visit at the hospital you will be directed to the intensive care unit.  You will find a set of closed double doors, with a wall telephone close by.  Pick up the telephone to speak to someone at the nursing station inside.  He or she will authorize you to enter the unit.  We ask you to do this each time you visit. 

   

  Please understand that seriously ill patients need as much rest and quiet as possible.  We ask you to minimize any noise, and we ask that you remain either in your loved one's room or in the main waiting room outside the double doors.   The patient rooms are relatively small and are filled with important medical equipment.  In order to give the healthcare professionals caring for your loved one enough room in which to do their work we respectfully ask you to limit your visit to two persons at a time.  We also request that you do not bring food or beverages into the patient's room.   Please be aware that there will be times when the nurse or physician must ask you to leave the room while they provide care to the patient.  You are welcome to wait outside the unit, and we will let you know as soon as you may resume your visit. 

   

  We are here to help.  Please feel free to address any questions with the team members of the unit.    Many families have found it helpful to appoint one family member to function as the spokesperson for the group.  The spokesperson will be regularly updated on your loved one's condition and he/she can then pass the information on to the rest of your family.  We will refer all other calls that the patient receives to the spokesperson as well.

   

  The nurses and doctors, along with other caregivers, make walking rounds between 7:00 and 7:30 am and between 7:00 and 7:30 pm.  They discuss each patient's treatment, progress, and plan of care for the upcoming shift.  These rounds take place in the hallways outside the patient rooms.  We make a sincere and committed effort to protect all our patients' confidentiality and privacy and we need you to also respect the privacy of the other patients on the unit as well as their families.  Therefore we need you to either remain in your loved one's room, or in the waiting room outside the unit, during these times so the healthcare team can do its work with minimal interruptions.

   

  We regret that we cannot permit children under the age of twelve to visit on the intensive care unit.  This policy protects small children from unnecessary exposure. 

   

  The hours from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm are designated as Quiet Time.  This time allows the patient to rest, completely free from noise and interruption.  Our experience has shown that patients very much appreciate this quiet time.  We ask visitors to remain outside the unit during Quiet Time.  Special requests to visit on the intensive care unit during these hours will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the charge nurse and physician. 

   

  The primary concern of each caregiver is the condition of the patient.  We will make every attempt to allow plenty of time for visits.  However, at any point that we deem it in the best interest of the patient, the doctor or nurse may ask you to end your visit.   We thank you in advance for your understanding and immediate cooperation.   

Special Needs Visitors

• Sight impaired visitors or visitors with special needs who are escorted by an assistive animal will be permitted to all public areas of the hospital.
• Security officers and volunteers are available to help visitors who require assistance getting to their destinations.
• All phones are equipped with volume controls. All televisions can display closed captioning. Public TDD pay telephones are located in the Emergency Department and Family Birthplace at UCMC and in the Emergency Department at HMH. Portable TDDs are also available for use in patient rooms.
• In the event of a fire or other emergency, the locating and removal of handicapped/special needs visitors will be a priority of Security Services.

Visitors of Concern or Disruptive Visitors

• Our primary concern at our hospitals is the care and safety of our patients.
• In keeping with our standard of safety, our healthcare team members will intercede if a visitor is acting suspiciously or the patient appears agitated by a visitor.
• Visitors who are disruptive may be asked to leave. If a visitor is disruptive to the point that the visitor's behavior interferes with the care or comfort of any patient, or is abusive toward anyone, Security Services will be contacted to escort the visitor off UCH property.

Television and Telephone Service

Cable television and local telephone is provided free of charge to our patients. Local telephone calls may be made by dialing "9" and the number. Long distance calls cannot be charged to your room. Friends and family can call patients in their rooms by dialing        443-643-and the room number if a patient at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and      443-843-and the room number if a patient at Harford Memorial Hospital.

Dining Room Services

The Dining Room at Harford Memorial Hospital is open to visitors from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the following meal times:
Breakfast: 6:30-10 a.m.
Coffee Break: 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner: 5-7 p.m.

The Dining Room at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center is open to visitors from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Meal times are:
Breakfast: 6 - 10 a.m.
Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Snacks: 3 - 4p.m.
Dinner: 5 - 7 p.m.

The cafeteria service stations at both hospitals include short order grill, made to order deli bar, hot food station, snack area, salad bar and hot and cold beverage area. Vending machines are located just outside the main dining room. The vending machines contain hot and cold food, hot and cold beverages and snacks.

Smoking Policy

In accordance with Maryland law and in keeping with Upper Chesapeake Health's policy to ensure a healthy environment for all our patients and guests, smoking is prohibited throughout the hospital facility and only permitted in designated smoking areas outside of the facilites.  If unsure of areas please ask a team member to direct you to the designated areas. Cigarettes and smoking materials are not sold at our hospitals.

Special Services

Both our hospitals offer a variety of special services to make our patients' stay as pleasant and comfortable as possible. These services include:

• Guest Services
  The Guest Services Department is responsible for ensuring patient rights and resolving any concerns regarding patient care at our hospitals. Guest Services team members assist patients in exercising their rights to assure they receive respectful, considerate care focused on their individual needs. Patients or family members who have concerns about their hospital stay, should contact Guest Services at HMH at 443-843-5618 and at 443-643-2400 at UCMC.
  
• Spiritual Care Services
  We believe in a holistic approach to care that includes attention to the spiritual as well as physical and emotional needs of each patient. Visiting clergy of all faiths are on call. To arrange for a member of the clergy of your faith to visit, please call the Volunteer Services Department at HMH at 443-843-5355 and at 443-643-1725 for UCMC. Chapels are located on the 1st floors of both hospitals for prayer and meditation. Grief counseling and bereavement services are also available for patients and their families.
  
• Advance Directives
  Information about Advance Directives is provided to patients in collaboration with the Admitting and Nursing departments. Guest Services team members provide assistance to patients in initiating Advance Directives.
  
• Patients With Special Needs
  Guest Services staff accommodates the needs of special patient/family groups and provides the equipment, support or processes to meet those needs. This may include, but is not limited to, interpreters, text telephones, and documents in Braille or on tape.
  
• Notary Public
  Notary public services are provided for those patients who must transact personal business while a hospital patient. For more information contact, Guest Services.
  
• Newspapers & Mail
  Local newspapers are delivered daily and may be purchased in the hospital lobby. Letters and packages for patients are delivered directly to the patients' rooms. Mail that arrives after a patient has been discharged is forwarded to the patients' homes.
  
• Flowers
  Flowers are delivered to patients' rooms by volunteers. Flowers that arrive after a patient has been discharged are returned to the florist. 

Parking & Directions

Harford Memorial Hospital
Free on-street parking is available around the hospital, but it is subject to limitations. A well lit parking garage across the street from the main entrance of the hospital offers parking at a reasonable fee. Hospital handicapped parking is located near the Emergency Department entrance. The circular driveway at the front entrance of the hospital is for dropping off or picking up patients. Patients and visitors are cautioned not to park in reserved areas or certain designated areas. Please be sure to lock your car. If something happens that causes you to need assistance with your vehicle, please call the Security Department at 443-843-5314.

Directions
Take I-95 North to Exit 89 (Havre de Grace), stay to the right and merge onto MD 155 East. In approximately 1.8 miles, MD 155 will turn to the right (just after a railroad express). Do not turn, but continue straight on Superior Street (MD 763) until it ends. Make a right onto Juniata Street. Go to the second traffic light and make a left onto Revolution Street. Proceed to the next traffic light and make a right onto South Union Avenue. There is a commercial parking garage on the right ($1 charge) and Harford Memorial Hospital is directly across the street.

Parking Lot Map (.pdf)

Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
The main entrance to the hospital is located on Upper Chesapeake Drive off MacPhail Road. The circular driveway at the front entrance is for dropping off or picking up patients. There is ample parking for visitors including designated handicapped parking. There is no charge for parking. Please be sure to lock your car. If something happens that causes you to need assistance with your vehicle, please call the Security Department at 443-643-2444.

Directions
From Baltimore: Take I-95 north to exit 77-B, which is Rt. 24. Go west on Rt. 24 towards Bel Air (approximately 5 miles). Turn left on W. MacPhail Road at traffic light. Upper Chesapeake Drive is first left after the turn.

From Cecil County: Take I-95 to ext. 77-B, which is Rt. 24. Go west on Rt. 24 towards Bel Air (approximately 5 miles). Turn left on W. MacPhail Road at traffic light. Upper Chesapeake Drive is first left after the turn.

          Parking Lot Map (.pdf)

• Visitors must observe visiting hour guidelines.
• Visitors may not smoke anywhere in the hospital facility, and may only smoke outside in designated smoking areas.
• Visitors must dress appropriately and must wear shirts and shoes.
• Visitors may not sit or lie on patient beds.
• Visitors are not permitted to use loud or abusive language, or be disruptive in any way to the care and well being of the patient.
• Visitors should not bring food to the patient without checking with the nurse first.
• Visitors are not permitted to bring alcohol, drugs or medications to the hospital.
• People with colds, sore throats, or any contagious diseases should not visit patients.
• Visitors should maintain a quiet environment and avoid unnecessary noise.
• Visitors may be asked to leave the room during tests or treatments or when the doctor or nurse needs to see the patient. Knock first if the door to a patient's room is closed.
• Patients may refuse or restrict visitors.

Patient Condition Information

Any personal information about your diagnosis and treatment must come from your physician and this information is only available to members of your immediate family whom you designate to receive it.

Gifts for Patients

Visitors should check with the nurse before bringing gifts of food or drink to the patients.

Gift Shop

Harford Memorial Hospital
Our Gift Shop, operated by the Harford Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, is located off the main lobby. The shop has gift items, magazines, cards, candy and toiletries.

Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
Our Gift Shop, operated by the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Volunteer Services Association, is located on the main floor in the Rotunda. The shop has gift items, jewelry, magazines, greeting cards, candy, toiletries and plants.

Out-of-town Visitors
Accommodations for relatives and visitors from out-of-town are available at nearby motels. Contact Guest Service for a list of nearby motels and restaurants by calling 443-643-2400 at UCMC and 443-843-5618 at HMH.

Solicitations
No solicitations are permitted at Harford Memorial Hospital or Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. We regret any inconvenience you may experience as a result