NEW: Starting today, visitor restrictions eased at RWJ Barnabas Hospitals

Beginning today, most RWJ Barnabas hospitals and other RWJ facilities across the state of New Jersey will ease visitor restrictions that were put into place this past December.

The hospital chain, which is one of the largest healthcare providers in the state announced the move yesterday, but they also said that individual hospitals may make their own rules.

Interestingly Lakewood’s Monmouth Medical Center and Tom’s River’s Community Medical Center, which are both branches of RWJ made different rules effective today with Lakewood’s being alot more stricter, claiming that Ocean County is in a Yellow Level.

For Monmouth Medical Center rules click here.

For Community Medical Center rules click here.

The following notice was released by the hospital chain which is in effect as of today:

The safety and well-being of our patients, visitors and staff is our number one priority. Please be aware of the following newly revised guidelines before visiting one of our hospitals or healthcare facilities:

Pediatric units: Two parents or guardians; siblings may be permitted for end of life.
Maternity/Labor and Delivery: One birth partner; in addition to the birth partner, a doula is also permitted throughout labor and delivery and the entire post-partum length of stay.
Post-partum/Mother-Baby: One visitor at a time, in addition to the birth partner.
Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Two parents/support persons are permitted.
Pediatric psychiatric patients: Only one visitor is allowed if/when a mutual agreement between the care team and the parents/guardian has been reached.
Patients with disabilities where the disability may be due to altered mental status, intellectual or cognitive disability, communication barriers or behavioral concerns: ONE designated support person is allowed to remain with the patient.
All visitors 18 years of age and under: Will not be permitted.
Surgery: Provided social distancing can be accomplished, one visitor is allowed for surgery and procedure patients until the patient is taken to the pre-op area. One visitor is allowed when patient is in recovery and preparing for discharge.
End-of-life: Two visitors may visit at the same time.
COVID-19-positive patients: No visitors are permitted except for circumstances approved by the care team.
Immunocompromised patients: No visitors are allowed except for circumstances approved by the care team.

For a full list of RWJBH hospitals and facilities please visit our Locations page.

We encourage family members and friends to use alternative ways to interact with their loved ones, including phone calls, Facetime, Skype and other means.

Extenuating circumstances to the temporary guidelines and individual requests will always be considered based on the best interest and needs of the individual patient. These extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to:

Patients on hospice or at the end of life
Patients who are critically unstable
Patients undergoing surgery or procedures
Patients in need of a medical guardian or decision-maker
At the discretion of the hospital, one visitor may be able to accompany a patient in Ambulatory Care or other outpatient areas