MercyOne North Iowa enforces visitor restrictions

MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center has initiated Level 2 Visitor Restrictions due to increased influenza activity in the community.  
For the protection of our patients and to prevent the further spread of influenza, visitor restrictions include:
• Visitors with respiratory or influenza like symptoms are restricted
• OB visitation restricted to significant other and grandparents
• Pediatric visitor restriction limited to parents and grandparents.
Patients in isolation are limited to significant other and parents plus two visitors
• Visitors 18 years of age and less are restricted from entering the hospital, unless extenuating circumstances.
MercyOne North Iowa realizes there may be circumstances that deserve special consideration. In those cases, families should call the nurse in charge on the unit they wish to visit prior to arriving at the hospital.  
Per its policy, MercyOne North Iowa instates a Level 2 Visitation when two or more surveillance criteria are met for four consecutive days. MercyOne North Iowa may initiate stricter visitor guidelines if influenza rates increase in the community.
“As a healthcare organization it is our responsibility and obligation to protect our patients, visitors, and co-workers, as well as ourselves and families, against the seasonal influenza virus,” said Kim Overbeck, Infection Prevention Nurse, MercyOne North Iowa.