NARH restricts visiting hours to prevent spread of flu
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - North Adams Regional Hospital will restrict patient visiting hours and is asking that visitors be at least 18 years of age, effective Tuesday, Nov. 3, as part of NARH’s efforts to contain the spread of influenza.Temporary changes to the visiting policy include:
* No visitors under the age of 18
* A maximum of two visitors at a time
* Restricting visiting hours to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., ending an hour earlier than usual
* A request that any person with flu-like symptoms not visit the hospital
Exceptions may be made when a patient is critically ill.
“A few simple changes like these will reduce the spread of flu, and help us heal our patients faster and keep our visitors and staff healthy,” said Jennifer Rush, Vice President of Quality for Northern Berkshire Healthcare, the hospital’s parent corporation. “We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause, but hope the community understands that these measures are necessary. The Centers for Disease Control has asked hospitals to consider restricting visitors, and we share that concern. While the vast majority of flu cases have been only mild or moderate, more than 80% of the severe cases have been in children ages 6 to 18.”
NBH’s website, www.nbhealth.org, has updated flu information linked from the site’s main page. Information includes a flu planning checklist, the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control, vaccination information, and links to resources for businesses.
