This news item expired on Monday, February 2, 2015 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Influenza (flu) activity throughout North Carolina has decreased; however, Mission Health asks that family and friends continue to limit their visits to patients in the hospital.
Mission Health has lifted the Visitor Restriction Policy and reinstituted the Visitor Limitation Policy, which suggests children under age 12 and people who do not feel well should call patients and not visit them at the hospital.
Mission Health is implementing this precaution at Mission Hospital and all Mission Health member hospitals and affiliates in western North Carolina including CarePartners in Asheville, McDowell Hospital in Marion, Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine, Angel Medical Center in Franklin and Highlands-Cashiers Hospital in Highlands.
In addition to limiting exposure, the spread of the flu can be controlled with frequent hand washing. All hospital visitors are urged to wash their hands before and after visiting.
“The decision to lift visitor restrictions and go back to limiting patient visitation is based on recommendations from Mission Health’s Infection Prevention Team in a system-wide effort to minimize the spread of influenza among our patients. Moreover, we don’t want healthy visitors picking up the flu and then spreading it throughout the community,” said William Hathaway, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mission Hospital and Mission Medical Associates. “Our patients are our first priority and their health and safety is vital.”
Limiting visitation is a precaution often taken during flu season when flu activity reaches a certain level. Should the flu activity level increase, further restrictions may be recommended or implemented again. As a reminder, Mission asks those who do not feel well at any time, not just during flu season, to refrain from visiting loved ones in the hospital for infection prevention reasons.