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Information for Visitors and Patients

Masking Guidelines at UPMC

Masks are available but not required in most UPMC care areas and UPMC facilities. Be sure to check for signage about masking. UPMC continues to track the risk of getting respiratory illnesses like flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19 in our health care settings. If the virus transmission risk level increases, masking may be required.

If you are a patient and not feeling well, please wear a mask. If you are a visitor or support person and have a fever, a respiratory illness, or a stomach illness, please consider delaying your visit until you feel better. Ask a staff member if you need a mask. Children aged 2 and younger should not be masked.

People Can Choose to Always Mask

UPMC remains an environment that welcomes people who choose to mask at any time.

While we don’t require masking for every person in patient care areas, we do:

  • Have masks available for people who choose to wear them.
  • Encourage people to wear a mask if needed for their well-being.
  • Wear masks upon a patient’s or loved one’s request when providing care.

People who have respiratory virus infection symptoms should always mask when inside UPMC facilities to protect others from getting sick.

If you’re sick, please tell your health care providers before your visit. This gives us time to take the proper steps to protect others.

Masking for Standard and Transmission-based Precautions and PPE Plan

Patients, staff, and visitors must wear masks when part of standard and transmission-based isolation precautions. This means the use of masks for patients diagnosed with, or who may have, a contagious respiratory illness.

Check for Signage About Masking

Check for signs about masking requirements throughout UPMC hospitals and facilities. Remember, you can always request staff members to wear a mask when caring for yourself or a loved one.

Required Masking

Masking will be required in UPMC patient care areas and medical facilities when virus transmission risk remains elevated.

If the risk of spreading viruses increases inside our patient care facilities, we will require masking for everyone, including:

  • Staff.
  • Patients.
  • Support persons.
  • Visitors.
  • Vendors.
  • Volunteers.
  • Students.

Visiting Hours and Hospital Information

Family and friends are very important to a patient's healing process. 

Please talk with the patient's nurse to coordinate appropriate times to visit.

For hospital-specific visitor information, including visiting hours, directions, and other guidelines, please visit our hospital location page and select the UPMC hospital you will be visiting.

Patient Visitation and Support Persons Guidelines Across UPMC

Support persons are important members of the care team. They are essential to creating a healing experience for our patients.

UPMC has lifted our patient support person guidelines developed for the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of support persons is no longer limited, and visitors under age 2 are permitted in areas where masking is not required. Our general visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Some special circumstances may exist within ICUs, NICUs, OB settings, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and UPMC Western Behavioral Health locations. If you have questions about visitation guidelines, please contact the location before you visit.

Contact Us

UPMC
200 Lothrop St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582
412-647-8762
1-800-533-8762

Submit a question or comment online about your visit to a UPMC facility.


To Prevent Infection

To protect the well-being of our patients and employees, we ask that you take the following precautions:

  • People who are coughing, sneezing, or ill must not visit. If you need to cough or sneeze while visiting, please cover your mouth and nose with your arm.
  • All visitors should wash their hands upon entering and leaving patient rooms.
  • When isolation is called for, visitors must take all isolation precautions as the doctor or nurse directs.
  • Please do not use patient restrooms unless the patient is in a private room and gives consent.

Cell Phone and Mobile Device Usage Policy

Please read and follow all posted signs in the hospital regarding restrictions on the use of:

  • Cell phones
  • Wireless computers
  • Other wireless devices that transmit radio signals

Do not use cell phones or any wireless devices within six feet of medical equipment in patient care areas.

Restrictions may also exist in hospital areas such as:

  • Operating rooms
  • Transplant intensive care rooms
  • Radiology imaging rooms

Clean Air/Smoke and Tobacco-Free Campus

In conjunction with our mission of supporting healthy lifestyles, UPMC is committed to a healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff.

UPMC is a smoke-free campus. Our employees, physicians, volunteers, contractors, students, and others acting for UPMC are not permitted to smoke or use tobacco products on UPMC property.


Links to Hotels and Accommodations

Pittsburgh region

Information about hotel accommodations in the Pittsburgh region, including East (Monroeville) and North (Cranberry), can be found at VisitPittsburgh.com.

Family House

Family House is a nonprofit licensed organization that provides a special "home away from home" affordable housing for patients and their families who must travel to Pittsburgh for treatment of serious or life-threatening illnesses.

By providing a friendly, home-like setting, Family House strives to make a difference in the quality of the families' lives while they're here.

Located in the Oakland and Shadyside sections of Pittsburgh, Family House has 130 guest rooms across four, freestanding houses:

  • Family House Shadyside
  • Family House Neville
  • Family House University Place

Rooms start at $68/night and additional discounts may be available.

For housing information:

UPMC Altoona

UPMC Altoona's hospitality houses are available to accommodate family members of patients.

We also have rate and service agreements for patient families with the Courtyard by Marriott Altoona at 2 Convention Center Drive, and Hampton Inn on 180 Charlotte Drive.

Visit UPMC Altoona to learn more.

UPMC Hamot

UPMC Hamot’s Information Desk staff will be happy to help you or your family with a hotel reservation. The Information Desk is located in the Main Lobby.

You may also call them at 814-877-7007, between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. After 7:30 p.m., you may ask any staff member to put you in contact with a nursing supervisor.

Visit UPMC Hamot to learn more.

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