Visiting Hours & Guidelines
Visitor policies and COVID-19
Our visitor policies are subject to change, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases in the community. See Visitor Policies Due to COVID-19 for:
- Up-to-date rules for visitors
- Masking policies
- Our digital screening tool for COVID-19 symptoms, exposures and infections
Visiting hours & rules
San Francisco
- Two primary caregivers are allowed on a patient's visitor list.
- Unless there are space constraints, both caregivers are allowed at the patient's bedside anytime.
- With approval from the patient's care team, siblings or other loved ones who are not primary caregivers are allowed at the patient's bedside during visiting hours.
Visiting hours: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Oakland
- During visiting hours, two primary caregivers are allowed on a patient's visitor list and at the patient's bedside.
- Outside of visiting hours, only one primary caregiver is allowed at the patient's bedside.
- With approval from the patient's care team, siblings or other loved ones who are not primary caregivers are allowed at the patient's bedside during visiting hours.
Visiting hours: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
At both our San Francisco and Oakland campuses, children under age 5 may not visit during respiratory virus season, which is typically from November 1 to May 1.
Visitor check-in process
For the safety of our patients and community, we require every visitor to wear a mask and a badge while in the hospital. When you arrive, please check in at the information desk (San Francisco campus) or ambassador's desk (Oakland campus). A representative will perform a brief health screening before issuing the badge. If you're the patient's parent or guardian and your child will be with us for an extended stay, ask about getting a badge that is good for more than one day.
The desk staff is also happy to help direct visitors, provide information on lodging and dining options, answer parking and transportation questions, and more.
Check-in desks
Information desk (San Francisco)
(415) 476-1583
M-F, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
1975 Fourth St., First Floor
San Francisco, CA
Ambassador's desk (Oakland)
(510) 428-3474 (or ext. 3474 from inside the hospital)
747 52nd St., Main Lobby
Oakland, CA
Visitor rules
During your visit, we ask that you:
- Check with the department you're visiting about whether masking is required. Even if it isn't, we strongly recommend wearing a mask when indoors.
- Wear your badge at all times while in the hospital.
- Wash your hands before entering a patient room.
- Supervise underage visitors at all times.
- Be mindful of noise levels, particularly if your child is sharing a room with another patient.
- Latex balloons are not allowed as they are a health and safety risk. You may bring mylar balloons.
Preparing siblings for a hospital visit
Child life specialists are trained to support kids and teens in a medical setting. They offer many services for families, including help with preparing children to visit a sick or injured sibling in the hospital. For more information, contact Child Life Services.
Your child's hospital stay
Smell the roses
Wander outside into our Butterfly Garden in Oakland and our healing gardens at Mission Bay.
