Visiting Hours at Carle Health Methodist Hospital

Effective Jan. 13, 2025, all Carle Health regions will update masking guidelines for staff and community members. With each region in our coverage area experiencing high levels of respiratory illness, we urge all patients and visitors who are experiencing symptoms to wear a mask while at our facilities. At this time we will also limit visitors to those 18 and older. Contact your care team with questions. Thank you for your understanding as we work to create the safest environment possible to give and receive care.

Visitor Guidelines:

Visitors allowed within our facilities must be healthy. Visitors will not be allowed if displaying signs or symptoms of an influenza-like illness, which includes a fever, with cough or sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, shaking with chills and new loss of taste or smell. If you show symptoms, you may be asked to leave.


Inpatient/Emergency Department Visiting Hours
  • Methodist, Pekin, Proctor: Normal visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (7 days a week) Visitors arriving after 8 p.m. must check in at front lobby desk.

Emergency Department: 
  • Two visitors may accompany the patient during evaluation.
  • Covid positive patients may have one visitor accompany during evaluation.
  • Covid positive minor patients may have two parents or guardians accompany during evaluation. 
  • Patients nearing the end of life may have four people in their room. Visitors may rotate in and out. Clergy will not be counted in that number.
  • Methodist ED BH services: One visitor may accompany the patient during evaluation and per staff/provider discretion during evaluation.  Patients under 18 years of age may have two visitors.

Inpatient Units, Outpatient Departments, Maternity, Post-partum and Pediatrics: 
  • All waiting rooms are open.
  • Visitor screenings:  Visitors must self-attest to being symptom free from current illness and have not tested positive for Covid-19 or been in close contact with someone who has had Covid-19 in the last 10 days.
  • Visitors will not be required to check in at front desk or receive a visitor tag during normal visiting hours.
  • After 8 p.m. front doors will lock, and visitors will need to check in at front lobby desk.
  • ICU unit: Visitors must be 12 years or older.
  • Due to certain medical conditions, some patients may be limited on visitors who are under the age of 18.  (i.e.-oncology patients, neutropenic patients)
  • Special Care Nursery : visitors limited to two visitors, sibling visits can be arranged.
  • Labor & Delivery: visitors limited to four people in the room at a time only. All others must wait in the waiting room.
  • Pediatrics: visitors limited to two adult overnight caregivers. Siblings allowed to visit during normal visiting hours.
  • Overnight visitors allowed with approval and are limited to 18 years or older.

Behavioral Health Units:
  • Unit specific guidelines for visitation will be followed for Behavioral Health units. Contact the Behavioral Health unit to schedule a visit, no walk-in visitors will be allowed.

COVID-19 Positive Inpatients:
  • COVID-19 positive inpatients are allowed 2 visitors except during end of life, visitors must comply with PPE use and prevention efforts. Visitors may rotate in and out. Virtual visits are also available for all COVID-19 positive patients. If you have patients or families that need assistance setting up a virtual visit, please send an email request to patient.relationswest@carle.com.
  • All visitors will be asked to leave if they are symptomatic or do not meet the above criteria. For any questions regarding visitor policies, please contact our patient advocate team by email at patient.relationswest@carle.com.

Virtual Visits:
  • If you have patients or families that need assistance setting up a virtual visit, please send an email request to patient.relationswest@carle.com.
  • Enter "virtual visit" in the subject line and please include the patient's name, room number and family contact info. Assistance is available from 8am- 5pm M- F.

For more ways to protect against the spread of COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and other respiratory illnesses, please visit;

About Respiratory Illnesses | Respiratory Illnesses | CDC
IDPH: Infectious Respiratory Disease