Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Overview

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that has been classified as a pandemic due to its international spread. Cases can be mild, but hospital care may be needed. The current climate is ever-changing from day-to-day. Ozarks Healthcare recommends that members of the community follow CDC Guidelines even if you are not ill and don’t have symptoms to help prevent the spread and flatten the curve.

Symptoms and preventative measures can be found on the CDC's website.

Are you experiencing COVID-19 symptoms?

If you are experiencing: FEVER, COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, call your primary care provider or either of Ozarks Healthcare’s walk-in locations in West Plains and Mountain Grove.

For the latest information, check out our: Facebook page

For more information on testing: CDC Diagnostic Testing Information

Visitor Restrictions:

In response to the continued downward trend of COVID-19 cases, Ozarks Healthcare (OZH) wants to welcome our community back inside the walls of our hospital.

Ozarks Healthcare’s updated visitor policy includes the following:

  • Patients at Ozarks Healthcare’s hospital and clinics are encouraged to have any number of visitors during visiting hours, which are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Individual circumstances and departmental exceptions may apply, which are listed further below. Patients may deny the consent for visitation at any time. Extra safety precautions may be in place for visitors of patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis.
  • All patients, visitors, and staff must wear a mask while inside patient care areas at any Ozarks Healthcare facility. Ozarks Healthcare staff members who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to remove masks when away from patient care areas. Screenings for patients, visitors, and staff will no longer be conducted (including no temperature checks). Any screening questions and temperature checks will be completed in the patient triage process.

    While still encouraged by Ozarks Healthcare, masking is not required in public spaces on the health system’s main campus, which include Grill 59, its coffee shop, pharmacies, chapel, and gift shop (opening soon).

  • Departmental-specific visiting guidelines apply to Ozarks Healthcare’s Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neuro-Psych Unit (NPU), and Obstetrics (OB) Department.
  • ICU and Emergency Department patients are allowed two visitors at a time, with no children under 12 years except under extenuating circumstances that may be determined by patients’ care teams. Visiting hours are subject to change according to each patient’s condition.
  • NPU patients are allowed any number of designated visitors of all ages at the discretion of patients’ care teams between the hours of 3 and 4 p.m. daily. NPU patients’ care teams may refuse any visitor access to the unit at their discretion.
  • OB patients are allowed any number of designated visitors between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. during labor or after delivery. During delivery, only two visitors are allowed in the room. After delivery, one designated person may stay with the patient after visiting hours end. All visitors must check-in and out of the OB Department for security purposes. The birth of an infant is a family experience, and it is the goal of the OB staff to support patients and their loved ones.

Utilizing Ozarks Healthcare’s COVID-19 Testing, Walk-In Clinics, and Virtual/Telehealth Visits

To help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, Ozarks Healthcare officials ask those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or suspect they could have the virus to call before visiting an Ozarks Healthcare clinic to be seen or tested. Symptoms of COVID-19 include headache, runny nose, and sore throat. This is not an all-inclusive list. Other symptoms include a mild cough or shortness of breath. If you think you may need to be tested for COVID-19, please call your primary care provider or either of Ozarks Healthcare’s walk-in locations in West Plains and Mountain Grove. Staff will assist in scheduling testing. The Ozarks Healthcare Walk-in Clinic in West Plains is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and can be reached at 417-257-5972. The Ozarks Healthcare Walk-in Clinic in Mountain Grove is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Virtual and telehealth visits are also available for patients wanting to adhere to social distancing or needing to be seen while ill with COVID-19 at home. A telehealth visit is a high-quality audio visit allowing you to speak with your provider in a secure and personal way over the phone. If you would like to inquire about a virtual visit, please contact your Ozarks Healthcare provider. If you need to establish a primary care provider, Ozarks Healthcare providers are accepting new patients. To find a provider, visit https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/find-a-doctor/.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be an ever-changing situation and is closely monitored by Ozarks Healthcare officials. Changes in visitor restrictions will be communicated as they arise.