Winter Haven Hospital Implements H1N1 Precautions …

In response to concerns about the spread of H1N1 flu, Winter Haven Hospital today announced that it has implemented the followingmeasures:

• Beginning immediately, the hospital asks all members of the public who are sick not to visit patients at the hospital. This includes individuals who have symptoms such as fever, cough and/or sore throat.

• Children under the age of 16 are welcome to visit patients in the hospital, but they should be well and not suffering from a fever, cough and/or sore throat.

• The hospital encourages all visitors to wash their hands thoroughly before visiting patients. Additionally, at all hospital entryways, hand sanitizer stations and face masks have been made available for extra precaution.

• The hospital asks the public to be aware that special precautions for visitors have been implemented at the Regency Center for Women and Infants. The federal Centers for Disease Control has identified pregnant women and infants as two groups facing increased risks from H1N1 infection.

• Winter Haven Hospital staffers are being vaccinated against the seasonal flu virus and will receive the H1N1 vaccination as soon as it becomes available.

Kaye Hixon, Phd, RN, Administrative Vice President at Winter Haven Hospital, said the hospital is seeking to “strike the proper balance between the medical priorities of our patients and the role families play in our patients’ recovery.”

“We know that family visits play a very important role for our patients in terms of emotional support and motivating them to get better,” Hixon said. “At the same time, we have to take appropriates steps to ensure that we discourage the spread of the virus to the greatest extent possible.”

Hixon added that Winter Haven Hospital’s H1N1 task is working with the Polk County Health Department and the federal CDC to address the public health needs of the community. She said the hospital is delivering educational materials about the virus to patients and their families.  She also said the hospital will make available public speakers who can address community groups and deliver accurate and timely information about the H1N1 virus.

The Chamber’s next Business Women’s Luncheon on December 1 will feature Polk County Health Department Director Dr. Daniel Haight addressing both the status of and precautions for this extraordinary flu season.