INDIANAPOLIS — Hospitals in Marion County, with the exception of Roudebush VA Medical Center and Riley Hospital for Children, are lifting temporary visitor restrictions and resuming standard visitor policies as influenza activity declines. Hospitals that are lifting temporary visitor restrictions include those within Community Health Network, Franciscan Health Indianapolis, Indiana University Health (except for Riley Hospital for Children), Ascension St. Vincent, and Eskenazi Health.
The temporary visitor restrictions began in early December at the recommendation of Marion County Public Health Department Director Virginia A. Caine, M.D. to protect patients, hospital staff and other visitors during a time of high flu activity and respiratory illness RSV that can be serious in infants and older adults.
Individual hospitals may have specialty areas that limit visitors as part of their normal visitor policy, so people should check ahead before visiting a patient at a specific facility.
Even with the decline in flu activity, Dr. Caine says it is important for anyone with the flu or flu-like symptoms, or who is not feeling well in any way, to stay home until symptoms are resolved and not visit a patient in the hospital. Dr. Caine also urges everyone to protect themselves and others from the flu and other viruses by washing hands frequently with soap and water, and covering coughs and sneezes.