- 10/29/2009
Prestonsburg, KY – Terry Booher, Vice President of Patient Care Services at Highlands Regional Medical Center, announced plans to limit hospital visitors during the flu season. Visitors under the age of 18 and anyone displaying flu symptoms will be restricted from visiting patients.
The action was announced on the heels of President Obama’s declaration of the H1N1 virus, commonly termed “swine flu,” being named a national emergency. Government officials and officers of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta had estimated that up to 120 million vaccinations would be available by the end of October, but to date only 12 to 13 million doses have been delivered across the nation.
This H1N1 strain, combined with traditional seasonal flu, prompted HRMC officials to “exercise caution for the well-being of our patients, staff and those who visit immediate relatives.”
“We believe that prudence and wisdom should dictate visitation policies during this flu season,” Booher explained. “Persons under the age of 18 are a group at highest risk. We want to protect the community, our staff, and our patients.”