St. Joseph Hospital restricts visitors to protect patients from swine flu

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COURTESY | FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD


POSTED: Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

St. Joseph Hospital restricts visitors to protect patients from swine flu

KIE RELYEA - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
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BELLINGHAM - Visitors to St. Joseph Hospital must be healthy and must be at least 12 years old under a new policy meant to protect its most vulnerable patients from the H1N1 flu, hospital officials said.

Even more tighter restrictions are being placed on visits to the Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit, and the Childbirth Center, partly because pregnant women, infants and children are at higher risk for severe complications and death if they contract what is commonly called swine flu.

St. Joseph Hospital is not alone in issuing new guidelines based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skagit Valley Hospital also tightened its access to visitors earlier this week, and other hospitals across the country are doing the same.

The restrictions will last for the duration of the pandemic, hospital officials said, adding that the policy could change as needed.
St. Joseph's new policy requires:

? All entering the hospital must sanitize their hands.
? All visitors must be healthy. Those with flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, body aches, cough, sore throat or nasal congestion, will have to come back when they're no longer contagious.
? Visitors must be at least 12 years old.

In addition, the hospital is further reducing access to the ICU, the Pediatric Unit, and the Childbirth Center, where each patient will be limited to two adult visitors. No visitor younger than 18 years old will be allowed in these areas of the hospital.

The Childbirth Center includes labor and delivery, postpartum, and special care nursery.

Hospital officials acknowledged that the restrictions will be inconvenient for the friends and families, but said they were necessary to protect patients from the pandemic.

"In our mission to provide the safest care for patients, all efforts are aimed at preventing the spread of H1N1," said Nancy Steiger, St. Joseph

Hospital CEO, in a news release.

Hospital officials also said that visitors should expect to be asked if they've had flu-like symptoms in the past week; sanitize their hands before entering; and wear a mask, if told to do so.


http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/1127092.html