Visitor restrictions on Owatonna

The Owatonna Hospital along with other Allina Hospitals and Clinics across the state have implemented tighter restrictions of visitors in an effort to prevent further spread of the H1N1 virus.

By WENDY REUER

wreuer@owatonna.com

OWATONNA — Allina Hospitals and Clinics, including the Owatonna Hospital, are imposing stricter limitations on visitors as a way to prevent further spread of the flu, hospital officials announced Friday.

The new rules, spelled out during a joint news conference in Minneapolis with representatives from several hospitals, now cover the entire hospital and go beyond earlier restrictions that applied only to hospital birth centers and pediatric units.

Beginning Monday, Owatonna Hospital temporarily will not allow visitors under the age of 5 to the hospital and will limit the number of visitors to any patient to three people at any one time. Visiting hours will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and visitors must be signed in and screened.

“The policy details will vary from hospital to hospital but the key elements are the same,” said Dr. Steve Bergeson, Allina Medical Director of Quality. “This is about patient safety. We want to keep our patients safe and we want to keep our staff safe. This is about prevention.”

Similar rules will apply to Hennepin County Medical Center, North Memorial Hospital, Regions Hospital and hospitals run by Fairview and HealthEast.

Bergeson said the restrictions have been under consideration for about six weeks prior to the announcement, but two incidents outlined the need for implementation. First, a toddler was reportedly exposed to the H1N1 virus after visiting a patient staying in the hospital for the H1N1 flu. Also, a teenager who was diagnosed with the virus reportedly visited a patient recovering from heart surgery that same day.

“We’re not to the point where we’re telling people to stay in or wear masks wherever they go. This is one of the best preventative measures so that we don’t get to the epidemic level we are hoping we never get to see,” said Dr. Gretchen Phillips, Medicalist at Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, Minn.

Mark Lappe, administrative manager of the Metropolitan Region Healthcare Preparedness Program said the regulations will be continually monitored, although it may be difficult to screen.

“It’s one of the most difficult for us to continue to monitor. Many of us will have central points where people will continue to be checked. Individuals who want to visit will stop in and be screened,” Lappe said. “It is one of our primary challenges particularly during normal visiting hours.”

At the conference, officials said clinics are experiencing more of a surge in numbers of potential H1N1 patients who need to be screened than hospitals.

Officials from the Owatonna Clinic said Friday that the clinic has take “a proactive measure to address the increased patient volumes related to the flu and recently opened a flu clinic.” The flu clinic serves as a screening service to triage patients for flu-like symptoms, identify needs and refer patients for further evaluation if necessary, clinic officials said.

The clinic, located at 26th Street, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. No scheduled appointment is necessary for this service.

When the visiting restrictions may be lifted at the hospitals is yet to determined. Officials at Friday’s conference said the H1N1 flu is already lifting numbers to what the regular flu season would generate later this year. Flu season may last until next May.

“We continue to monitor the situation on a weekly basis. We look at it week to week,” Dr. Steve Kolar, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for HealthEast Care System.

Wendy Reuer can be reached at 444-1565.

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Member Opinions: By: Are_you_serious on 11/1/09 I do have to admit that at first I was very angry about this about "no vistors under the age of 5". For my husband and I are expecting another child and our 2 sons will not be able to meet their brother until we bring baby home. But after consideration and thought I understand why. I just find it hard to believe that there are people that would take anyone to vist someone in the hospital that was ill or any sort of that nature of the flu to expose their child so agian I understand know because there are individuals that lack common sense or it is simply not there anymore as my instructor has told me several times that common sense is something people don't have. So I understand the policy in place and my family and I have decided that after 24 hours of delievery the baby and I would return home versus the 47 hour stay.
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