HSHS hospitals adjust visiting guidelines during flu season
HSHS Hospitals in O’Fallon, Effingham, Breese, Greenville and Highland guarding patient safety
With flu activity now classified as regional in Central and Southwestern Illinois, visitors to the hospitals in the HSHS Southern Illinois Division are asked to be mindful of the important role everyone plays in guarding patient safety.
The HSHS Southern Illinois Division Hospitals include:
HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in O’Fallon
HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese
HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland
Each of these hospitals are providing respiratory etiquette stations at hospital entrances, which have tissues, masks and sanitizing hand gel for visitors.
During flu season, the HSHS Southern Illinois Division hospitals highly recommend the following visiting guidelines:
DO NOT visit hospital patients if you:
– Have a cold or any flu-like symptoms including fever or chills, sore throat, body or muscle aches, headache, cough or runny nose.
– Are under age 18 years of age.
A limit of only two people should visit a patient at any one time.
As always, soap and hand sanitizers should be used when entering and leaving a patient’s room.
For more information about the flu, visit flu.gov.
Flu shots are also available. People can check with their local physician’s office. Vaccinations are also available at HSHS Medical Group urgent care clinics – to find one nearest you, visit https://www.hshsmedicalgroup.org/Find-Care/Urgent-Care.aspx.
