Visiting Hours & Information
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System encourages guests to visit patients during their stay within the hospital. In order to maintain high quality patient care and enhance patient, guest, and employee safety, the following visiting hour guidelines are established:
Normal visitation hours are from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., every day of the week including holidays.
Patients shall identify one (1) support person upon admission. The support person will be allowed to stay with the patient past normal visitation hours. After 9:00 p.m., all visitors not identified by the patient as their support person shall leave the hospital for the night. If the patient’s support person must leave the hospital during the night, they shall inform Nursing upon the floor where the patient resides and then sign-out with Security within the Emergency Department lobby. Upon returning, they shall enter the hospital through the Emergency Department and sign-in with Security. Access into the hospital after 9:00 p.m. is only through the Emergency Department registration and Security desk. Temporary exceptions of allowing more than the patient’s support person to visit the patient past 9:00 p.m. shall be first approved by the Nursing Supervisor. These exceptions are allowed for end-of-life situations. Even with the exception, additional visitors beyond the patient’s care partner cannot stay overnight within the hospital.
At 9:00 p.m., the patient’s support person that is already within the hospital shall go to the Emergency Department lobby desk and sign-in with Security to receive a visitor’s badge. The Switchboard will make an overhead announcement at 9:00 p.m. to designate the need to sign-in.
Depending upon a patient’s health status, visiting hours may be restricted during the day within the Special Care units. Special Care units shall designate their own visiting hour’s dependent upon patient and unit needs. Special Care units shall also designate the number of visitors allowed during the day. Special Care units shall inform visitors of their unique restrictions beyond those addressed within this policy.
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System reserves the right to ask visitors to leave the hospital if their safety, the patient’s safety, or hospital staff safety is in jeopardy. The hospital may also revise visitation privileges and hours within this policy due to any public health emergency or as a result of a natural or man-made disaster.
Nursing and/or Security, depending upon the patient or hospital safety needs shall limit the number of guests visiting a patient at any given time. As a guide, no more than four (4) visitors shall be within a patient’s room at a time during normal visiting hours. For end-of-life situations, any more visitors than the four (4) visitors allowed within the patient room shall wait in the hospital lobby.
Children ages 16 and younger shall always be accompanied by an adult. Nursing will consult with all visitors bringing children into the hospital of any special safety requirements or stipulations needed for the child’s safety before the child is allowed into the patient’s room. Children may not be left unattended anywhere within the hospital.
Outpatient procedures and Surgeries are performed during the day and during the evenings. Only one (1) support person is permitted to stay within the hospital while the patient receives their procedure or surgery. The support person shall wait in the designated lobby unless otherwise granted permission by Nursing into the pre-op or recovery area.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, masks are recommended, but no longer required, in our facilities.
However, visitors should not visit patients if they have recently experienced a high-risk exposure to someone with COVID-19, a respiratory illness or other symptoms associated with COVID-19.
ATM
ATMs are located next to the cafeteria entrance at St. Francis Downtown. Stamps are available in the vending machines adjacent to the cafeteria at St. Francis Downtown.
Cafeteria Hours
Monday-Friday
Breakfast : 6:30 to 9:00 a.m., Continental breakfast available until 10:30 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Salad bar available until 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Weekends
Breakfast: 6:30 to 8:30 a.m., Continental breakfast available until 10:00 a.m.
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Salad bar available until 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Chapels
People of all faiths are welcome in the chapels at St. Francis. The chapel is located on the ground levels of St. Francis Hospital, just past the lobby on the left. Services are held weekly.
Gift Shop
The gift shop at St. Francis Downtown is located in the South lobby on the main floor and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with a 45-minute closing at 1:00 p.m. for lunch. We accept the following forms of payment: Cash, Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. If you would like to place a phone order for a patient who is currently inpatient within our facility, please confirm their room number before contacting the gift shop at 864-255-1171. Payment is expected at the time of your order. We can provide toiletries, floral arrangements, chargers, pajamas, inspirational gifts, and many other sundries.
*Please note that patients under a neutropenic precaution and/or in the ICU cannot have fresh flowers delivered to their room. If the patient is undergoing chemotherapy and has been admitted for Neutropenia, we are happy to offer a Fresh-Cut Paper Bouquet that is as realistic as the arrangements in our cooler or any of our other items based on availability*
Parking
Parking lots are available in the front of each facility. Emergency Room parking is available across St. Francis Drive from the ER.
Vending Machines
Vending machines are located in the basement next to the entrance of the cafeteria, and in the Emergency department.
Wireless Access
Free wifi is available for patients and guests. Choose network “BSHSIGuest” and agree to terms to connect.