At MaineHealth Memorial Hospital, we understand that family and friends provide much needed support while you are in the hospital. Whether you are a patient or a visitor, we want your experience to be as pleasant as possible.
Please note that weapons and tobacco products including electronic cigarettes, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco are prohibited on the grounds of all MaineHealth Memorial Hospital facilities, including parking areas and in vehicles.
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital recognizes the importance of family involvement in the healing process and also respects each patient’s need for quiet time. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made at the care team’s discretion. Staff will educate visitors and will monitor compliance with this policy. All visitors and visit times are at the discretion of the patient care team. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is a smoke-free campus.
Birthing Center: Visitors are welcome from 8 am until 2 pm and 4 pm until 6 pm
- One (1) partner and one (1) support person may be allowed for labor support.
- One (1) partner or support person is allowed in the post-partum phase.
- All others will visit two (2) at a time. Only siblings are allowed under the age of 13. Please consider the emotional health of the child prior to their visit.
- The hours of 2 pm until 4 pm are set aside as a quiet time for moms and babies.
Medical-Surgical: Visitors are welcome 10 am - 8 pm.
- Visitors should be checked in at the main entrance
- Pediatric: flexible visitation hours
- All visitation plans are subject to change and are at the discretion of the patient care team
Emergency Room: Each adult patient allowed one (1) visitor. Children under the age of 18 may have two (2) parents or guardians.
Surgical Services: One (1) visitor or guardian for adults, two (2) parents or guardians for minors under age 18. Visitation is at the discretion of the provider and clinical care team.
Outpatient Surgery, Procedural Areas, Ambulatory/Diagnostic Areas: Each adult patient will be allowed one visitor/escort. Children under the age of 18 may have 2 parents or guardians.
Additional Visitor Information
- Visits to a family member or friend in the hospital should be beneficial for both the patient and visitor. Ideally, staff, physicians, patients and visitors should discuss whether or not the visit is therapeutic and /or desired; or if it places patients or visitors at risk for exposure to infectious diseases or unpleasant situations.
- Visitors must be screened at the main entrance and receive a visitor tag.
- Visitors who have experienced a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, skin rash, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 48 hours or who have been diagnosed with an infectious illness within the past 5 days should wait to visit until it is certain they will not expose the patient to more risk of disease.
- Visitors who are disruptive or disturb patients, staff or other visitors will be asked to stop the disruptive behavior or be escorted from the premises by Security or Law Enforcement.
- Visitors may be asked to leave if the patient’s condition requires immediate attention.
- Individuals who are visiting from out of town will need to make provisions for their own lodging.
- Visitors should be mindful to the needs of the other patient in semi-private rooms.
These visitation safety measures are for the protection of patients, employees, visitors and the public.
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is pleased to provide healthy food options at a great value for our staff, patients, and community. Our menu changes daily.
Our secure online patient portal helps you connect with your care team, schedule appointments, view test results and more. Learn more about MyChart.
Funded by MaineHealth and offered through local hospitals, the MedAccess program helps patients find low cost prescription drug options. Programs such as pharmaceutical companies' patient assistance programs, low-cost generic programs, Medicare Part D and state and local prescription programs can help save on medication costs. Learn more.
Inability to pay for care will never prevent you from receiving medically-necessary services. MaineHealth offers financial counseling and programs that can assist you with your health care bill.
The Suncatcher Gift Shop is located in the main lobby of the hospital, and offers affordable gifts, cards, new baby gifts, small fresh flower arrangements-perfect for the patient's bedside, personal care items, snacks, hand-crafted items and more. The shop is staffed and managed by the MaineHealth Memorial Hospital volunteers to raise funds for the benefit of patient care, services, and scholarships.
If you wish to send a patient a gift, please call the shop at 603-356-0972 with your order (credit card payment only).
Gift Shop Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 4 pm
What is observation status?
Although you may stay overnight in the hospital, observation status is considered an outpatient service. Observation status allows your admitting health care provider to monitor your condition to determine if you should be admitted to the hospital or allowed to return home after a short stay. During your observation stay, you may require monitoring, diagnostic testing, medications and other treatments before you are able to return home. Therefore, your observation care at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital is considered outpatient hospital care, even if you stay at the hospital one or two nights.
How will this stay be different than an inpatient hospital stay?
In most ways, including quality nursing and medical care, your stay at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital will be identical to a short inpatient stay. If you are a Medicare patient, however, the cost of your home medications may not be covered. To help save you that medication charge during your observation stay, you will be asked to bring in your regular medicines from home in their original, non-expired pill bottles. Once a pharmacist is available to verify the medicines, they will be kept in the unit’s medication room to be given to you by your nurse according to your medication schedule.
What happens at the end of 24 to 48 hours in observation?
Your doctors and nurses will carefully monitor your condition and will determine if you need to be admitted as an inpatient, or are well enough to go home. If discharged home, hospital staff will review your follow-up instructions with you, just as though you were being discharged from any hospital stay. If your condition justifies a longer stay in the hospital, you may be admitted as an inpatient.
What will I be billed for as an “observation” patient? How is this different than inpatient hospital charges?
Your primary health insurance plan dictates how long you may be covered by insurance for observation stay services. Medicare and Medicaid may allow up to 48 hours of observation, while most private insurance plans allow up to 24 hours. The hospital will bill your insurance for each hour you are in an observation status bed in the hospital.
Charges for observation services are calculated and billed differently than inpatient hospital stays, depending on what health care plan covers your stay. Medicare part B is required for Medicare coverage of these outpatient charges. If you are covered by private insurance, contact your insurer for details.
For Medicare patients, prescription and over-the-counter drugs you were taking before this observation stay are not covered during this observation status stay in the hospital. You will be billed for these drugs, unless you have provided your own from home for verification by our pharmacist.
For questions or concerns about hospital charges for observation services, you may contact the MaineHealth Memorial Hospital Billing Office at 603-356-0644.
Who do I ask if I need help understanding my hospital admission status?
Please speak to a care team member or call 603-356-0652.
Learn more about how Medicare covers hospital services. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
At MaineHealth, the privacy of your health information is a top priority. All MaineHealth locations follow strict guidelines that secure your medical records in accordance with your rights, and with federal and state regulations. You, or your legal representative, have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records. We do not offer walk-in services but can provide records electronically, on paper, on a USB flash drive, or on a compact disc (CD). Upon request, we will also send a copy of your medical records to another health care provider.
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