Las Vegas NowUMC Adopting New Visitor Rules Due to H1N1

UMC Adopting New Visitor Rules Due to H1N1

University Medical Center is adopting a new policy when it comes to hospital visitors in order to keep H1N1 from spreading.

Anyone 16-years-old and under is not allowed to visit high risk areas including Labor & Delivery, Pediatrics, Burn Care and other departments where patients might be compromised. The new policy is in effect immediately.

Flyers were posted around UMC warning visitors of the new restrictions. The Nevada Hospital Association has recommended all of the valley's hospitals adopt the same visitor restrictions.

"We want family members to visit their loved ones in the hospital and we believe it helps them recover sooner, but at the same time we don't want to risk the health and safety of those family members and so at this time we have decided to think very carefully about what we are doing," said Tracy Puckett, UMC director of Infection Control.

Infection control specialists believe this is a necessary precaution to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly H1N1 virus to hospital patients. The restrictions are aimed at children because they tend to carry and spread viral infections more rapidly than adults.

Also, anyone with flu symptoms is being told to not visit the hospital.