The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) includes rules pertaining to increased and standardized confidentiality and security of health data. HIPAA privacy regulations require that access to patient information be limited to only those authorized, and that only the information necessary for a task be available to them. Personal health information is always protected and kept confidential. Unless otherwise instructed, visitors of WellStar hospitals can be provided the location of a patient and general information about their condition.
All hospital doors remain open until 8:30 PM The Emergency Department doors are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For the rest and welfare of our patients, televisions must be kept at a low volume. Please comply with requests to turn off televisions to allow a patient to sleep. Nursing personnel also may ask that televisions are turned off at 11 PM
We understand that some of our patients have special likes and dislikes regarding food. However, you will need permission from the patient’s physician to bring food into the hospital for a patient. Visitors may take their meals in the patient room, but please discard all items including wrappers, leftovers, cups, plates, etc. and remove them from the room.
All visitors should behave in a responsible, polite and courteous manner. Any visitor who exhibits threatening behavior or uses abusive or profane language will be asked to leave the hospital.
We strive to provide all patients and visitors with a clean environment. To help our Environmental Services personnel and to keep the patient's room as sanitary as possible, visitors may be asked to leave the room so that it can be cleaned. We realize that this may be an inconvenience; however, visitors may want to enjoy our cafeteria or tour the grounds at this time.
You or your representative has the right to consent to receive visitors whom you designate including, but not limited to, a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex domestic partner), another family member, or a friend, and your right to withdraw or deny such consent at any time. To know the health facility is not permitted to restrict, limit, or otherwise deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or disability. To be ensured that all visitors enjoy full and equal visitations privileges consistent with patient preferences."