Visitor Restrictions in place due to Gastro Illness on Medical Unit

March 8, 2017 - The Ross Memorial Hospital has put visitor restrictions in place on the Medical Unit (3rd Floor) due to an outbreak of what is suspected to be Norovirus. Since March 1, six patients and more than a dozen healthcare providers have become ill, with symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and headache. On March 7, an outbreak was declared by the RMH Outbreak Team in conjunction with the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

The Hospital is taking special measures to control the spread of the illness, including heightened attention to personal protective equipment (PPE) and special cleaning procedures. Patients will not be admitted to the Medical Unit, nor will patients be transferred from the Unit unless clinically required.

Limiting the amount of people walking through the Medical Unit is an important step. This includes volunteers, student clinical placements — and visitors. 

“We recognize the important role visitors play in our patients’ healing and recovery,” said  Anne Overhoff, Vice President Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer. “We regret having to restrict visitors on the Medical Unit, but it’s important that we prevent the spread of these germs, not only to our patients and staff, but to visitors and the community.”

“By taking these steps, we hope to resolve this outbreak as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we encourage our patients’ loved ones to call or send emails to tlc@rmh.org. The emails are hand delivered every weekday.”

Norovirus has an incubation period of two to three days. People are contagious as long as their symptoms persist.