Banner Health to lift visitor restriction policy
PHOENIX (Dec. 22, 2009) – Banner Health has lifted its flu-related visitation policy, which means children ages 12 and under may be allowed in patient care areas at Banner Health hospitals.
In September, Banner implemented a systemwide 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 in the hospital. Research indicates that children are the main 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.
"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."
Five Banner Health facilities have lifted their flu restrictions. They are:
- Banner Estrella Medical Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Banner Lassen Medical Center, Susanville, Calif.
- East Morgan County Hospital, Brush Colo.
- McKee Medical Center, Loveland, Colo.
- North Colorado Medical Center, Greeley, Colo.
All five hospitals are requesting anyone with flu-like symptoms to refrain from visiting the hospital.
Two Banner hospitals, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix and Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center, Sun City West, Ariz. have requested that children 12 and under not visit the hospital altogether.
If you have a question concerning the visitor policy about a particular facility, they should check the facility's Web site or call ahead.
_______
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.
