New electronic visitor system at UChicago Medicine

Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine

The University of Chicago Medicine has implemented a new electronic visitor system to ensure an orderly way for visitors to spend time with a patient while maintaining an optimal healing environment.

The new system replaces a paper-based process and will be integrated into the medical center’s electronic health records. It will enable Public Safety officers to effectively ensure compliance with new visitor limits.

Limits on the number of visitors a patient can receive have been designed for the care and safety of UChicago Medicine patients. The number of visitors largely depends on the location of a patient as well as the patient’s condition and treatment needs. Exceptions may be made in certain and very specific cases.

Visitors will need a photo ID to check in at security desks located in key areas of the medical campus. They will be issued a wearable visitor badge that will include photo, name, unit or room number of the patient, as well as the date and time. The badges will be active for 24 hours.

Visitor badge

Visitors must check in at designated Public Safety desks to receive visitor badges, located in the following facilities:

  • Adult Emergency Department (ED)
  • Center for Care and Discovery (CCD) East lobby
  • CCD West lobby
  • CCD Sky Lobby on the 7th Floor
  • Parking B garage
  • DCAM/CCD bridge
  • Comer Children’s ED
  • Comer Children’s lobby
  • Bernard A. Mitchell lobby

Upon exiting UChicago Medicine facilities, visitors are asked to return the badge to Public Safety desks so they can be removed from the visitor count for a particular patient to enable access to other family and friends.

Color badges

The visitor badge also will be color-coded to help identify visitors who may be lost and in need of assistance.

These are the care areas and the corresponding badge color:

  • Adult Emergency Department (ED) — Red
  • Center for Care and Discovery (CCD) — Blue
  • Comer Children’s (Inpatient Units) — Pink
  • Comer Children’s Pediatric ED — Purple
  • Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital (adult) — Green

For more information, please contact UChicago Medicine Public Safety at: 773-702-6262