In an effort to prevent the spread of flu, West Virginia University Hospitals and Monongalia General Hospital have established new temporary visitor policies beginning Monday (Nov. 2).

Visiting hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visitors will be limited to two per patient at any given time, and must be older than 18. Officials at both hospitals encourage limiting visitors to immediate family members. No one who has had any flu symptoms for the previous 24 hours should visit the hospitals, particularly those who have had a fever.

At WVU, all visitors will now be required to register and obtain a visitor’s badge before entering patient areas. The badges are photo-sensitive and expire during the course of the day, so visitors must register each day they come to the hospital. The registration desk is on the first floor, east lobby at Ruby Memorial.

“We’re doing this for the health and safety of our patients and our community,” WVUH President Bruce McClymonds said. “It’s especially important that we limit exposure to H1N1 as much as possible.”

“Our children seem to be most vulnerable to this virus,” Mon General President Dave Robertson said. “It just makes sense to protect them from exposure and prevent them from possibly spreading it in the hospital.”

Officials from both hospitals said special circumstances may occasionally occur when the rules may be waived.

WVUH has also decided to cancel or postpone several public events in the hospital scheduled for the next few weeks. The employee craft show, a demonstration of robotic surgery and the Children’s Hospital Fallfest have all been canceled to limit gatherings of large groups.

For information and advice about H1N1 influenza see www.wvuhealth.com and click on the red health alert button.

-WVU-

For More Information:
Amy Johns, HSC News Service, 304-293-7087
johnsa@wvuh.com