Patients & Visitors | MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

All MHMMC visitors must stop at a designated check-in point. All visitors over the age of 18 will be asked to present a photo ID. Talk to a care team member if you do not have photo ID. Visitors will be issued visitor badges to wear while at MHMMC. You may need to wait a few minutes due to this important safety measure. Thank you for your patience.

Visiting hours and policies vary across our campuses and can change based on federal and state guidelines. Visitation is open during pre-established visiting hours. Any after-hour visitation requests will be coordinated through the unit charge/nurse leader.  MaineHealth reserves the right to limit visitation due to operational, space or crowding concerns.

When visitors are allowed, children are usually welcome too. Please ask your nurse to confirm the visiting hours and policy in your unit. Masking is no longer required throughout our facilities except in certain cases; anyone can mask at their discretion and we will make masks available. The use of recording devices (video, photo, or audio) by any visitor is restricted to include only the patient and the patient’s family members or visitors. No recording of other persons, including care team members, is permitted without consent.

Patients & Staff Working Together

• Speak up: We urge you to take an active role in your care. Please speak up if something doesn’t seem right. If you don’t understand any part of your care; a medicine, test, or treatment please let us know so we can ensure your questions or concerns are answered.
• Identification: Please wear your ID band at all times. You can expect all care team members to check for your name, date of birth and medical record number before any treatment or test. All care team members should wear name badges and introduce themselves and their role in your care.
• Medications: Please carry a list of all the medicines you take, including vitamins, herbs and supplements. The care team should explain all medicines to you including the benefits, potential side effects and the reason for the medicine.
• Prevent the spread of germs: Please clean your hands after using the bathroom, before eating and whenever you enter or exit your room. All care team members should clean their hands before touching you.
• Help prevent unsafe situations: To prevent falls, keep your call bell and personal items within easy reach and ask for assistance to get out of bed. Report any situation that makes you worry or feel unsafe, such as equipment that’s not working or a slip hazard.

Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is not allowed at any MHMMC campus, including campus grounds. This includes e-cigarettes. MHMMC Portland campus visitors can get free emergency nicotine gum 24/7 from the MaineHealth Pharmacy on the ground floor of the Coulombe Family Tower. 

Tobacco treatment services are available for patients during their medical center stay. This includes counseling, support, and help with nicotine replacement to manage cravings or help with quitting. Ask your nurse or doctor to place an order if you would like this support. 

Fragrance, perfume, cologne, scented products, etc.

For the health and safety of our patients, visitors, and staff with severe allergies, we ask that you remain fragrance-free. This includes not using perfume, cologne, lotions, or oils with fragrance, and being free of smoke odor.

Before you come to the medical center:

• Talk to your insurance company to make sure your insurance covers the procedure. Prior authorization may be required.
• If you do not have insurance, please contact our financial services team through MyChart, the MaineHealth patient portal, or call 1-866-804-2499 (toll-free) Monday through Friday: 8 am – 4:30 pm.
• Arrange transportation home from the hospital.
• Chose a family member or friend to speak on your behalf, take calls or relay information about how you're doing.
• Complete an advance directive.
• Pre-register for your stay.
• Be sure to know what time to come to the hospital. If you have not been told, please check with your doctor.
• Take a shower or bath. If provided, use special soap as directed by your provider.

Things you will need with you:

• Your insurance card and photo ID
• A list of current medicines - including how much you take and how often
• Completed advance directive form.
• Personal health devices.

You may also want these items to make your stay more pleasant:

• Something to read.
• Comfortable pajamas and slippers
• Personal hygiene items (no scented products please)

Things to leave at home:

• Valuables, cash and jewelry
• Medicines you take at home, including medical marijuana
• Electric fan
• Electric heating pad
• Electric radio
• Electric razor
• Hair dryer
• Pets
• Television
• Weapons

Upon Arrival

Our staff will do what they can to make the admitting process easy and efficient for you. We will ask you to sign forms saying you agree to your treatment. Please read the forms carefully. While your room is being prepared, we will make you as comfortable as we can in our waiting room. Sometimes there may be a shortage of rooms because of unexpected emergencies. If this is the case, we will do our best to work with your care team to tell you before you come to the hospital. Unfortunately, we may not know we’ll be short of rooms until the day you arrive. We appreciate your patience.

Pre-Operative Readiness and Education Program (PREP) 

• If you are having surgery at any MHMMC location, your surgeon will give you information about your surgery, such as how to prepare and what time to arrive.
• There are two parts to our Pre-Operative Readiness and Education (PREP) program:
  • PREP phone call
  • PREP visit
• Every surgical patient will receive a PREP phone call. It is very important to call us back quickly if we leave you a message.
• Some patients will also be asked to come to the PREP clinic for an in-person visit. This depends on the type of surgery and any health conditions you have.

Learn more about the PREP program.