Visitor Guidelines

A Notice to our Visitors: All visitors are required to provide proof of a negative COVID test taken within the last 72 hours, or proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before visiting anyone in our care.

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Dominican Hospital is following CDC, state, and local guidelines as they relate to patient visitation to keeping our visitors, patients and staff safe. Please check these guidelines frequently as they are subject to frequent change due to increasing COVID-19 positivity rates in Santa Cruz County.

All staff and visitors are required to wear face coverings while inside the hospital, regardless of vaccination status.

Visiting Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

All inpatients (except COVID-19 positive patients) may have one support person/visitor per day. Visitors under the age of 16 are not permitted to visit.

Exceptions (Visiting hours may vary based on department)

  • NICU: Two designated parents/guardians may visit at the same time.
  • Pediatrics: Patients may have one parent visitor at a time. 
  • Birth Center: One designated visitor/support person and the visitor/support person may not change. An additional designated support person may be present during the labor and up to four hours after the birth of a baby with proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the last 72 hours.
  • Cognitive or Physical Impairment: One visitor/support person.
  • Imminent End of Life: Two visitors may visit at the same time for up to two hours per day, if approved by nursing leadership or hospital leadership.
  • Emergency Dept/Outpatient/Testing/Surgery/Procedures/Cath Lab: No visitors are allowed with limited exceptions. The following patients may have one support person/visitor: 
  • Patients at End of Life (exception COVID-19 positive patients)
  • Patients with Physical, Intellectual, and/or Developmental Disabilities
  • Patients with Cognitive Impairments

COVID-19 positive patients

  • COVID-19 positive patients visitors are restricted at this time. End of life patients may have one support person/visitor per day if approved by hospital leadership. Visitors must comply with current PPE and physical distancing policies. Visits will be limited to two hours. 
  • An informed conversation must occur with the visitor and the Nursing Supervisor prior to the visit that outlines the risks, benefits and alternatives to an in-person visit. This conversation will be documented in the patient’s medical record. Visitors should not be present in the room with a COVID-19 positive patient during an aerosol-generating procedure.

Visitor Screening

Visitors must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at entrances. Visitors do not need to be designated in advance.

The California Department of Public Health requires visitors to show proof of vaccination. If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, visitors must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test collected within 72 hours before each visit. Either PCR or antigen test is acceptable. Approved vaccine verification options are:

  1. COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card) which includes name of person vaccinated, type of vaccine provided, and date last dose administered;
  2. A photo of a Vaccination Record Card as a separate document;
  3. A photo of the client's Vaccination Record Card stored on a phone or electronic device;
  4. Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a health care provider.

Some exemptions are allowed to meet specific patient needs. Please make a request for an exemption through the house supervisor. 

The following requirements apply to all visitors:

  • Must comply with personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines and remain masked at all times.
  • Must remain in the patient’s room, and not in any other indoor public spaces.
  • May use the public restroom or purchase food and drinks to go from the hospital café. Visitors may not eat in the patient’s room.

Virtual Visitation

All patients may request and are encouraged to do virtual visitation via the patient’s or family’s personal devices or through hospital-provided technology.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to keep our patients and community safe and healthy.