Visitors and Security

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital takes visitor safety and security seriously. We want our patients, families, and visitors to have the best possible experience during their time here. Learn about St. Jude visitor policies, parking, and safety contacts, along with safety tips to keep your child and family safe during your time at St. Jude.

Visitor policies

St. Jude encourages visits to patients because they can help a patient’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Patients feel supported when they can keep up their relationships with others.

Patients are allowed to have visitors who are approved by either:

• The patient
• The patient’s legal representative 
• A support person (usually parents or family members)

St. Jude does not restrict visiting rights based on the visitor’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Adult patients and minors with certain legal rights may also name a support person.

A patient may not be able to have visitors or have limited visits if the visits would:

• Interfere with their care 
• Interfere with the care of others
• Be a threat to others on campus

Our staff have 24-hour visiting rights to the patients as needed for their care and treatment. Your child’s care team will let you know what you need to do to help prevent infection when you visit. You will be taught how to take steps such as using hand sanitizer and washing your hands when you enter and leave your child’s room.  

To prevent infections from diseases spread by other people, such as COVID-19, visitors with signs and symptoms of illness that may spread between people are not allowed to visit inpatients. In some rare cases, such as when a person with symptoms is the child’s only support, they will be allowed to visit, but must wear a mask and take other precautions.   

To prevent the spread of illness, we allow no more than 3 people at a time in an inpatient room or Intensive Care Unit (ICU), including parents and siblings.

Visitors can enter the hospital through the Patient Care Center (PCC) main entrance, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may also enter the hospital using the shuttle entrance with the red awning on the south side of the Danny Thomas Research Center.

Visits to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit

Infection prevention steps are critical for our patients who are treated with bone marrow transplants. These patients have weak immune systems, so they cannot fight off disease like a normal person could. We follow the wishes of the patient’s parents or guardians about who can visit. We screen visitors and caregivers for symptoms of illnesses that can be spread to others, and we keep this information private.  

Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMT) visiting guidelines:

• Visitors may only come between 10 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.

• All visitors must check in when entering the unit to be screened for illness. 

• Siblings age 7 and older must follow hand-cleaning rules and infection prevention steps for clean hands.

• Visitors who are not siblings must be age 16 or older.

• Visitors are not allowed in the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) common areas.

• Visitors are screened for signs and symptoms of illness. 

• Anyone with signs and symptoms of illness may be denied access to the patient.

• The number of caregivers, care team staff, and visitors, combined, can be no more than 3 people in an inpatient’s room.

• Parents or caregivers are not allowed to sleep on the floor of a patient’s room or in their bed.

• Only 1 parent may sleep in the patient’s room on the recliner or couch. 

• Patients are not allowed in the parent’s room.

• A donor sibling of any age may visit on the day of transplant.

• Visitors should not use the patient’s bathroom or sit on their bed.

• Visits between outpatient and inpatient rooms are not allowed. 

• Food or drink taken from the nutrition center or family lounge into a patient’s room cannot be returned to common areas.

• Patients should not visit BMT common areas.

• Some bone marrow transplant patients may be required to wear N95 masks for a time.

  Learn more about Transplant Unit safety and infection control 

Parking and construction

We offer free valet parking on campus for patient families.  

Valet parking hours: 
Monday–Friday, 5:30 a.m.–11p.m.

You may pick up and drop off your car at the Patient Care Center (PCC) Circle Drive.

You may also park your vehicle on campus, but you need to get a parking tag from Security at the PCC and Target House. Be sure to have your license plate number with you when you get the tag. Your tag is valid for 6 months.

Visit our parking webpage for more information. 

St. Jude safety contacts

It is important to follow safety measures as instructed by our staff and report any security concerns as soon as possible. This includes things like:

• Theft 
• Damage to property
• Vehicle accidents
• Disturbances
• Suspicious behavior

In an emergency, call:

• Security: Dial extension 4444 from a hospital phone, or from a cell phone, dial 901-595-4444 
• Fire: Dial 3499 from a hospital phone, or from a cell phone, dial 901-595-3499
• Life-threatening emergency: Dial 911 first, then Security at 901-595-4444

If you use a St. Jude phone, do NOT dial 9 to get an outside line first, as the Security Operations Center will not know that you have made an emergency call. Stay on the line and be ready to tell the person who answers about the emergency.

Security officers and off-duty Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers are on campus 24 hours a day. Along with calling one of the numbers above, you can ask a Security officer or MPD officer for help.

There is a security call station in the Tri Delta parking lot, as well as call stations at our pedestrian gates.  There are also call stations inside of the parking garages and by the parking garage elevators.. If you need help at any time, day or night, push the button on the call station. You can also push the call button to reach Security for non-emergency stations such as:

• Your child or you feel suddenly sick
• You have a problem with your vehicle or are locked out of your vehicle
• You see something suspicious
• You need a ride to a building 
• You would like a security officer to walk with you after dark

Learn more about how to protect your child and yourself on campus.

How to get after-hours medical help

Your child’s clinic is open:  Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–5 p.m. If your child needs medical care when the clinic is closed, check in at Patient Registration. If you arrive after 10 p.m., you will be greeted at the front desk by a security guard who will call staff in the Infusion Center to let them know you have arrived.

Main hospital number: 901-595-3300, Toll-free: 1-866-278-5833

Infusion Center: If your clinic is closed, call the Infusion Center at 901-595-2441.

If your child has a fever or other signs of an infection, call your child’s primary clinic right away. Learn more about how to take a temperature. 

In case of emergency while at the hospital: If you are concerned about your child’s current medical state and need help right away, call the Rapid Response Team. Call extension 4444 from any hospital phone or 901-595-4444  from a cell phone.

In case of emergency when outside of the hospital buildings: Call 911.

If your child might have an illness that could spread to others, call before coming to the hospital. Call 901-595-3300 and ask for the nursing supervisor (toll-free: 1-866-278-5833).

Learn more about fever and signs of infection.

Safety and security

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital works hard to keep the hospital campus and our housing safe. But we have many of the same security concerns as other hospitals.

To ensure the safety of our patients and families:

• We are a gated facility.

• We do not allow alcohol or illegal drugs on campus. 

• We do not allow weapons on campus, even for people licensed to carry weapons. Only on-duty law enforcement officers are allowed to carry weapons.

• Our staff does not give out any information about a patient over the phone. 

We also have emergency response plans to deal with situations such as missing children, suspicious activity, fire, and natural disasters.

If you have questions, call the Security Center at 901-595-4444 (ext. 4444 on a hospital phone).  

Child safety

While we take steps to protect children at our campus, a parent or caregiver is the best person to teach a child about personal safety. Your child should understand that the hospital is a public place. You should practice safety precautions, so they are easier to remember when needed.

For everyone’s safety, children (including siblings and guests) must be supervised at all times. They may not wander freely in the hospital or on the grounds. 

 Here are some things to do to help keep your child safe at the hospital:

• Be sure your child always wears their patient identification armband while they are in the hospital. Our staff uses this armband to identify your child before they give any treatment. You can remove the armband if your child leaves the hospital for the day. 

• Go with your child to each appointment whenever you can. If you cannot be with your child in the treatment area, ask the name of the staff member who will be caring for your child.

• If you do not recognize the name of a staff member, ask for identification. Each employee wears a picture name badge.

• You must supervise siblings of patients. If possible, leave siblings with an adult when you take your child to the hospital. If this is not possible, please bring an adult with you to watch siblings while your child gets care.

• Report any suspicious person or behavior right away to a St. Jude security officer or call the security 24-hour control desk at 901-595-4444 or ext. 4444 from a hospital phone. 

• If you cannot find your child, tell a member of the St. Jude staff. That person will call the clinical coordinator who, along with Security, will help you find your child.

• Carry a recent, color photograph of your child in your wallet. We can use this to help locate your child.

• Always remember it is up to you to safeguard your possessions. St. Jude does not store your valuables. Do not bring jewelry and other valuables that you cannot always keep with you. St. Jude provides a luggage checkroom in the Patient Care Center's 1st-floor lobby. A security officer at the Patient Care Center Guest Services Desk will check your luggage.

Learn more