To protect patients and young visitors from the spread of the H1N1 flu, beginning Tuesday, October 27, NorthBay Healthcare will no longer allow non-patient visitors and family members under the age of 16 inside its hospitals in Vacaville and Fairfield.
"This will be inconvenient for some families, and perhaps frustrating," acknowledged Dr. Don Denmark, vice president of Medical Affairs for NorthBay Healthcare. "But we have to put the safety of the patients first, and the safety of those who will be visiting a facility that has a growing number of patients with the flu."
"This will be inconvenient for some families, and perhaps frustrating," acknowledged Dr. Don Denmark, vice president of Medical Affairs for NorthBay Healthcare. "But we have to put the safety of the patients first, and the safety of those who will be visiting a facility that has a growing number of patients with the flu."
He added, "We will do everything possible to deal with extenuating circumstances, and treat those extraordinary situations on a case-by-case basis. We know in some cases, a visit will be warranted."
The decision to restrict visitation comes on the heels of the death of a 6-year-old Vacaville girl who tested positive for the H1N1 virus. The Browns Valley School first-grader died in the Emergency Department of VacaValley Hospital shortly after arriving with flu-like symptoms a week ago.
"The community certainly has a heightened awareness of the potential severity of H1N1," said Deborah Sugiyama, President of NorthBay Healthcare Group, noting that Fairfield's NorthBay Medical Center will also comply with the new visitation policy.
"Just as other hospitals across the country have, we believed a strict policy is warranted to limit the risk of exposure to our patients, and to young visitors who are in the high-risk group for contracting H1N1 virus," Sugiyama added.
The consequences for infants, children and pregnant women who contract the flu can be very serious. In fact, H1N1 is more likely to occur among children, who can remain infectious for longer periods of time, even after symptoms are gone.
The policy will remain in effect indefinitely, perhaps the duration of the flu season, which usually lasts until spring. However, hospital officials will periodically review the policy.
In the Newsroom section of NorthBay Healthcare's Web site, NorthBay.org, Dr. Denmark appears in a video explaining the new policy. The hospitals' Web site also features an entire section devoted to flu prevention. Its blog, "Flu Facts," offers advice and answers questions from the public. There are tips on how to avoid the virus, information on vaccinations, direction on when to seek emergency care and links to a variety of other Web sites, including the Centers for Disease Control and the Solano County Public Health Department.
The decision to restrict visitation comes on the heels of the death of a 6-year-old Vacaville girl who tested positive for the H1N1 virus. The Browns Valley School first-grader died in the Emergency Department of VacaValley Hospital shortly after arriving with flu-like symptoms a week ago.
"The community certainly has a heightened awareness of the potential severity of H1N1," said Deborah Sugiyama, President of NorthBay Healthcare Group, noting that Fairfield's NorthBay Medical Center will also comply with the new visitation policy.
"Just as other hospitals across the country have, we believed a strict policy is warranted to limit the risk of exposure to our patients, and to young visitors who are in the high-risk group for contracting H1N1 virus," Sugiyama added.
The consequences for infants, children and pregnant women who contract the flu can be very serious. In fact, H1N1 is more likely to occur among children, who can remain infectious for longer periods of time, even after symptoms are gone.
The policy will remain in effect indefinitely, perhaps the duration of the flu season, which usually lasts until spring. However, hospital officials will periodically review the policy.
In the Newsroom section of NorthBay Healthcare's Web site, NorthBay.org, Dr. Denmark appears in a video explaining the new policy. The hospitals' Web site also features an entire section devoted to flu prevention. Its blog, "Flu Facts," offers advice and answers questions from the public. There are tips on how to avoid the virus, information on vaccinations, direction on when to seek emergency care and links to a variety of other Web sites, including the Centers for Disease Control and the Solano County Public Health Department.
