The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges to healthcare providers and every day, new situations present and we find ourselves working to find solutions that keep our patients, staff, and visitors safe and healthy. Patients who have been contacted by the health department as a “COVID-19 exposure” AND/OR are experiencing mild symptoms that do not require emergency care such as – cough, sore throat, fever, loss of taste and smell are encouraged to stay home and isolate from others and:
• Take advantage of the Grant County Health Department’s testing hours by appointment (541-575-0429)
• Contact the triage nurse at the Strawberry Wilderness Community Clinic (541-575-0404) for evaluation and recommendations
Keeping our patients, staff, and visitors safe from the transmission of infectious disease is a top priority of BMHD and with that goal in mind, we are restructuring the travel pathways of patients presenting to the Emergency Department. Patients who are experiencing severe symptoms such as chest pain or pressure and/or shortness of breath should seek emergency care immediately.
• Similar to the strategy implemented early in the pandemic, patients presenting to the ED with COVID-like symptoms will be redirected to a COVID Screening Area to reduce the risk of transmission to other patients, healthcare workers, visitors, and vendors.
o This separate, isolated area of the Emergency Department will be accomplished by internal structures at this time.