New safety and security guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Homeland Security are changing the way flowers can be delivered to hospitals, according to an article on the Up North Live website.
For instance, flower shops used to be able to deliver the gifts right to the nurses’ station at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Mich. The new guidelines changed that.
According to the letter, flower shops can only deliver their goods Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and no longer on Saturdays. The times for when flower shops can deliver became more limited because once the flowers get to facility, a staff member is then responsible for taking them the rest of the way.
Because of safety and security issues, including infection prevention measures, the medical center has policies that govern how vendors, such as floral shops, interact with patients or staff at the hospital, the hospital said.