Flu Season Prompts Changes to Visitation Policy

Flu Season Prompts Changes to Visitation Policy

 Visitation Guidelines During Flu Season

 MADISONVILLE, Ky. (2/19/19) — Baptist Health Madisonville has set hospital patient visitation guidelines on recommendation of Hopkins County Health Department that go into effect Wednesday.

“By taking these precautions, Baptist Health Madisonville hopes to help stop the further spread of the flu virus in our community and to protect the health of our current patients that are vulnerable during this time,” health officials said in a statement.

BHM listed the following guidelines for hospital patient visitors:

• Visitors will be restricted to those determined to be immediate family or significantly participating in the support of the hospitalized patient.

• No visitors with respiratory infections or influenza-like symptoms such as cough, fever, sore throat, chills, body aches and runny nose.

• No visitors ages 15 and younger. Siblings of newborns will be allowed if no fever in the past 24 hours, no current cold/flu symptoms and if they wash hands and wear a mask.

• Exceptions to the above restriction may be made for critically-ill or end-of-life situations.

• All patients being seen in the ER or other areas with influenza-like symptoms will be asked to wear a mask.

• All visitors need to wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.

• All visitors are required to follow any and all infection control precautions and requests of the nursing and security staff while visiting patients at Baptist Health Madisonville.