Banner Estrella Medical Center lifts flu-based visitor restrictions
PHOENIX (Dec. 29, 2009) – Because risk of H1N1 and seasonal flu transmission has subsided, Banner Estrella Medical Center will again allow children ages 12 and under into patient care areas within the hospital.
In September, Banner Health implemented a system-wide visitor-restriction policy as a precaution against the spread of H1N1 flu. Under that policy, children ages 12 and under were not permitted in patient care areas. Research indicates that children are primary carriers and transmitters of the flu; some Banner Health facilities prohibited children from visiting the hospital at all.
Banner Health has now decided because of declining cases of H1N1 flu to have each of its 22 facilities determine their own visitor policy, recognizing that there may be other contagious diseases circulating in local communities that may warrant the maintenance of visitor restrictions.
Banner Estrella has chosen to lift visitor restrictions; however, anyone with flu-like symptoms should refrain from visiting patients in the hospital. The hospital also encourages people to practice good hand and respiratory hygiene by washing their hands frequently and coughing into their sleeves. If conditions change and the number of flu cases increases, visitor restrictions may be implemented again.
"Despite the overall decrease in H1N1 cases, we have not yet seen seasonal flu or RSV and there is still a risk of a third H1N1 wave," said Caryn Staib, system director of Banner Health’s Emergency Management. "Therefore we ask that facilities continue to remain vigilant in terms of not allowing any sick individuals to visit and weigh the benefits of maintaining the restrictions within their community. It is recognized that restricting visits from family members can be inconvenient and even distressful to our patients. These preventative steps are only taken when we find them to be in the best interest of our patients’ health and well-being.”
About Banner Estrella Medical Center
Banner Estrella Medical Center, located on the southeast corner of the Loop 101 Freeway and Thomas Road, is a 214-bed full-service, non-profit hospital offering general surgery, orthopedics, women and infants services, a full cardiac program with open-heart surgery, emergency services, and medical imaging services. Banner Estrella is part of Banner Health, the leading provider of health care services in the Valley with 10 hospitals. Visit us online at www.BannerHealth.com/Estrella.
About Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 22 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics, home care and hospice services, and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. To learn more about Banner health, go to http://www.bannerhealth.com.
###
Contact:
Banner Estrella Public Relations
Phone: (623) 327-7168
Media Pager: (602) 817-7322
