Dear Prospective Visitor:

Thank you for your interest in visiting Children's Hospital.

At Children's Hospital, our patients are our main concern, and to best accommodate them during your visit, we ask that you please take time to read the following information. The guidelines that follow were designed with our patients' needs and interests in mind. During your visit, your group will be escorted to patients' rooms, spending a few minutes in each room for the purpose of entertaining the children.

If you are interested in visiting the hospital, please print and fill out the visitation form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) and return it to the hospital as soon as possible. Your visit will be confirmed by a phone call from a Community Relations staff member.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me in the Community Relations Department at (865) 541-8276.

1. All requests and scheduling should be made through the Community Relations Department. Group visits are scheduled Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visits take about one hour to complete. Weekend visits and visits after 5 p.m. are not scheduled because this time is reserved for families to visit patients with limited interruption.
2. Upon your arrival at Children's Hospital, a guide from the Community Relations Department will meet your group at the Information Desk in the main lobby and escort you to the patients' rooms. The main lobby is located on the first floor of the hospital.
3. Visitors must be 14 years of age or older. (State law and hospital policy.)
4. Gifts must be coordinated through the Community Relations Department.
   • Due to infection control reasons, all gifts must be new.
   • We cannot accept food because many of our patients are on restricted diets.
   • For safety reasons, no balloons (inflated or deflated) may be given to patients.
   • Some suggestions include: books, coloring and activity books, crayons, magic markers, pens and pencils, playing cards, anything a child can play safely with in bed and DVD movies (rated G, PG or PG-13 only).
   • Items should have no removable pieces or sharp edges.
   • Many groups want to know how many patients to plan for, but our census changes daily and it is difficult to know how many patients we will have when your group visits. (A target number is 35-45.)
5. Because we serve children of all faiths and beliefs, groups cannot distribute religious materials or gifts, make reference to faith-based messages (spoken or written) or come in religious costumes.
6. Photographs of patients for your personal use or publications can be taken only with the written permission of the child and parent on a Children's Hospital Photo Release Form. We do not encourage the taking of photographs. However, you are welcome to photograph your group inside the hospital. Any photographs will need to be coordinated with the Community Relations staff member escorting your group.
7. For our patients' comfort and entertainment, you may dress in costume. Costumes are not required, but if you decide to dress in costume, they should not be elaborate. Also avoid wearing threatening costumes or anything that might be scary to a child. Again, your group's visit should be strictly for the purpose of entertaining our patients.

1. You will first meet a Community Relations staff member in the hospital's main lobby for your visit. At this time, the Community Relations staff member will give the group a brief review of rules and requirements for your visit, so please be on time and ready to listen.
2. Due to infection control measures, there are some rooms you will not be allowed to visit. You are welcome to leave a gift for those patients if you wish.
3. Prepare your group ahead of time about how to speak to hospitalized children, especially if your group consists of teenagers (see below for some suggestions).
4. You will spend 4 to 5 minutes in each room, visiting and delivering any gifts you may have brought. Expect your entire visit to last 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the number of patients who can receive visits.
5. Smile a lot and enjoy your visit. Remember that our patients really appreciate you.
6. To protect the patient's and family's rights to privacy, we are unable to disclose information regarding the patient's reason for hospitalization.

1. Hospitalized children's reactions differ from those of healthy children because they are coping with the stress of illness and hospitalization. Expressions of appreciation or affection may be restrained.
2. Approach children slowly and bend down to their level, allowing them to decide to what extent they wish to interact with you. If the child shows any resistance to greeting you, move away from the child.
3. Greet hospitalized children as you would other children. Tell them what group or organization you are with, why you are visiting and what you have brought to them or are doing for them. Comment on their eyes, clothes and interests. Due to patient confidentiality, avoid questions such as, "What happened to you?", "How long have you been here?" and "When are you going home?" Avoid comments such as "Get well soon" and "See you next time," as they can be confusing to the patients.
4. Take special care around children who have intravenous (IV) apparatus or other hospital equipment. Try not to step on the IV pole or tubing. However, there is no reason to avoid interacting with patients with special apparatus.