Patients Required to Bring Face Coverings to Health Care Visits

As Southwest Health phases in additional in-person health care services beginning Wednesday, May 6^th, all patients will be required to bring a mask to wear.

To provide a safe environment for everyone, patients will be briefly screened at hospital and clinic entrances, and cloth face coverings will be required.

Find easy mask-making instructions here.

Because many have the coronavirus and don’t know it, wearing a cloth face covering helps prevent infection and reduces the spread of the disease. Southwest Health and other health agencies also recommend everyone wear a cloth mask in public settings, and for that reason, making a mask is useful far beyond a health care visit.

Jaime Collins, Director of Marketing and Communications

“If you don’t already have one, making a homemade mask is really very simple and doesn’t require any sewing,” says Southwest Health Communications Director Jaime Collins. “A folded bandana is the simplest, but an old t-shirt or other material can be quickly and easily made into a mask, too.”

As Southwest Health ramps up services, they also maintain the requirement that all patients with flu-like or coronavirus symptoms call (608) 348-2331 prior to coming to the hospital or clinic. A separate clinic space separates potential COVID-19 patients from others, and that space will be moved May 6^th to the EMS Station adjacent the hospital facility. Calling in advance allows staff to provide effective care and helps ensure patients arrive at the right entrance.

Southwest Health also continues to offer a 24/7 triage phone line staffed by Registered Nurses available to answer questions and direct patients to the care they need. That number is (608) 348-2331.

To ensure safe care within their facilities, all other safety measures put in place at Southwest Health during the pandemic also remain in place. A list of safety measures and many other details regarding the pandemic and the re-opening of services are available at southwesthealth.org.