Policies
Find VA policies on privacy and patient rights, family rights, visitation, and more.
Privacy and patient rights
Read VA's national privacy and patient rights policies
Family rights
Read VA's national family rights policy
Visitation policy
Masks and visitation policy (April 3, 2024 update):
- Masks for visitors (to include children aged 2-years and older) are optional except while visiting areas designated as high-risk.
- No children under 2 permitted in high-risk areas.
- Visitors must be COVID-19 negative.
- Children under 18 must remain with accompanying adult. Staff will not attend to visiting children nor can children be left alone during care visit.
Visitors:
Emergency Room:
- 1 adult visitor only
- Children case-by-case
Inpatient Rooms:
- 1 adult visitor at a time
- Children under 18 permitted (not in COVID positive patient rooms)
- Children under 2-years-old not permitted in multi-patient rooms (because they cannot mask)
- Visitation limited to 2 hours at a time
Outpatient:
- Children under 18 permitted
- Please wait in designated waiting areas.
- Veterans and visitors arriving for Same Day procedures that require a designated driver will check in as directed in their pre-procedure calls.
Masks
Masks for visitors are optional except while visiting areas designated as high-risk.
Security
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System is federal property. All persons and bags are subject to search. No weapons, alcohol or illegal drugs are permitted.
VA Police provide 24-hour patrols of our facilities and parking lots. To report all suspicious or criminal activity, vehicle accidents, and personal property losses while on facility grounds call us at:
Seattle VA Medical Center: Phone: 206-764-2899, ext. 63113
American Lake VA Medical Center: Phone: 253-582-8440, ext. 76757
VA general visitation policy
The medical center respects the patient's right to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services, and to involve the patient's family in care, treatment, and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker.
"Family" is defined as a group of two or more persons united by blood, or adoptive, marital, domestic partnership, or other legal ties. The family may also be a person or persons not legally related to the individual (such as significant other, friend or caregiver) whom the individual considers to be family. A family member may be the surrogate decision-maker, as defined in VHA Handbook 1004.02, if authorized to make care decisions for the individual, should he or she lose decision-making capacity or choose to delegate decision making to another.
The medical center allows a family member, friend or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of their stay. The medical center allows for the presence of a support individual of the patient's choice, unless the individual's presence infringes on others’ rights or safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated. The individual may or may not be the patient's surrogate decision-maker or legally authorized representative.
The hospital prohibits discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
Advance directives
When faced with difficult decisions about health care, you may struggle with the question of "what should be done?" These resources can help you deal with tough decisions about health care and how to plan for it.
Health Care Ethics Resources for Veterans, Patients, and Families
VA Form 10-0137 - VA Advance Directive: Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will
What You Should Know about Advance Directives
Report patient quality of care concerns
Visit the Joint Commission page to report concerns you have about the quality of patient care.