Masking Policy and Restrictions to Visitation

Nemours Enterprise
Monday, November 02, 2009 @ 06:04 PM EST

RESTRICTED VISITATION POLICY TO BE IMPLEMENTED AS OF NOVEMBER 9TH

Effective Monday, November 9th, a new restricted patient visitation policy will be in effect at AIDHC for the remainder of the flu season and until further notice. This policy is informed by visitation guidelines that have been agreed to by all hospitals in the State of Delaware in coordination with the Department of Public Health and Delaware Healthcare Association. A summary of the key components of the policy is provided below.

• Visitation to all inpatient units at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children will be limited to two adults in the room at any one time, 24 hours per day.
• In certain situations, two additional adult visitors may be permitted during normal visiting hours, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• All visitors must be 16 years of age or older.
• Visitors may be required to wear surgical masks while on the patient care unit.
• Exceptions to these guidelines may be considered on a case by case basis at the discretion of the department/unit manager, charge nurse, or attending physician. An example of an appropriate exception might include a single parent with no options for sibling child care while they are visiting their ill child.

VISITOR SCREENING PLAN TO BE IMPLEMENTED

A new visitor screening plan is being developed to help identify visitors that may be experiencing flu-like symptoms and to assist in enforcing the new visitation policy. The plan will include staffed visitor screening stations at each major entrance to the hospital. More details will be announced as the plan nears implementation which is expected to occur in about two to three weeks. Additional signage will also be developed to further reinforce flu prevention strategies and visitor policies.

modified: Friday, November 06, 2009 @ 10:15 AM EST
created: Monday, November 02, 2009 @ 06:06 PM EST

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.