Hospitals restrict visitors

H1N1 spurs new defensive policies

Concerns about the H1N1 virus have prompted at least five Lake County hospitals  -- Vista East and West, Highland Park, Advocate Good Shepherd and Lake Forest --to impose new visitor restrictions.

"No one is tracking what every single hospital is doing, but we are aware of hospitals around the state carefully adjusting their (visitor) policy," said Illinois Hospital Association spokesman Danny Chun.

Many hospitals are refusing entry to visitors 6 to 24 years old because they are in the highest risk category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chun said.

"This is all part of planning and preparing for H1N1 to ensure the safety of patients and visitors," Chun said.

Face masks and hand sanitizing stations are set up at Vista Health System locations, Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Lake Forest Hospital, Highland Park Hospital, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington and Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion.

However, only four of those hospitals placed age restrictions on visitors. Advocate Good Shepherd is refusing visits by children 12 and under. Vista Health System's East and West medical centers bar children 18 and younger, and Highland Park Hospital bars visitors 21 and younger from the birthing floor.

"As a health-care provider, patient safety is a top priority at Vista Health System. We always take proactive steps to protect our patients and reduce the spread of illness," Vista President and CEO Barbara Martin said in a prepared statement. "Due to the onset of H1N1, Vista Health System is implementing a stringent visiting policy for children 18 years and younger beginning immediately."

At Good Shepherd, the new policy will be effective Thursday, according to Jo Sheehan, manager of infection control.

No child of any age will be allowed on the obstetrics floor, Sheehan said, including siblings of the newborn. Only one significant other is allowed during mom's stay, no tours of the department are being offered, and only parents are allowed to visit infants in the special-care nursery, Sheehan said.

"It's a tighter policy than previous years," she said.

However, all said that floor managers would likely make exceptions for extenuating circumstances, such as terminal illness or life-threatening injuries.

Highland Park Hospital' birthing floor restriction was imposed last week, said Ann Newkirk, clinical director of nursing for women's health.

"We implemented it a week ago, and we're only going to keep it in effect as long as we see high activity in the flu community. We think it will probably last somewhere around a month," Newkirk said.

At Lake Forest Hospital, receptionists ask visitors who appear to be sick to either wear a mask or leave, said Dr. Michael Ankin, the hospital's chief medical officer.

"I think people get the idea that this is a logical policy, and if in fact someone has the flu, the best thing is to stay home," he said.

Although Condell and Midwestern Regional Medical Center do not have new visitor policies, they are asking people with flu-like symptoms to wear masks and encourage patients and visitors to wash their hands frequently.

"We're just looking at prevention in general," said Kathy Pierce, CTCA infection prevention and occupational health and safety specialist.