Because there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The CDC recommends the following additional steps:

• Wash your hands often
• Don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposre to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

• Sore Throat
• Fever or Chills
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion

This list does not include all possible symptoms.

If you are:

• Experiencing symptoms

• Have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Through the recommendation of the CDC and Four Corners Public Health Department, we ask that you call ahead before you go to a doctor's office or emergency room and tell them of your recent travel, contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 and your symptoms.

Clinic 402-643-4800

Hospital 402-643-2971

Four Corners Public Health Department 1-877-337-3573

Memorial ezVisit, powered by Bryan Telemedicine, offers online screening for COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

All patients and visitors will be pre-screened for the risk of COVID-19 upon arrival and given a clean mask to wear in the facility. Screening includes questions related to symptoms and exposure to others who are sick. Screening may include taking their temperature and instruction on infection prevention procedures. This is not a medical test to diagnose COVID-19. 

Visitors:

• Effective Wednesday, July 1st, Memorial Health Care Systems is implementing the following visitor/support person guidelines.

One healthy, adult support person and one healthy clergy member are permitted each day for:

• Inpatients
• swing bed

One assigned healthy, adult support person and one healthy clergy member are permitted for the entire stay for:

• assisted living residents

A healthy, adult support person will be allowed in a few limited circumstances:

• Same-day surgery - one adult
• Patient arriving at either emergency department - one, if needed
• Memorial hospital Labor and Delivery - one labor partner
• Pediatric/Minor patient (19 years or younger) - one parent/guardian
• Dependent adult needing special assistance - as determined by patient's nurse and administrative manager
• Patient care partner needing teaching and instructions prior to discharge - as determined by patient's nurse and administrative manager
• Hospital outpatient and clinic patient needing a support and/or transportation assistance - one
• Patient receiving end-of-life care - number to be determined by patient's nurse and administrative manager
• Special Circumstances - as identified by administrative manager

Visiting hours for inpatients, swing-bed, and assisted living residents are seven days a week: 8:00a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Except for the circumstances above, visitors/support/accompaniment are still not allowed for clinic appointments, specialty clinic appointments and employees.

Support persons and patients will be screened upon each arrival for signs of illness by taking their temperature and are required to follow infection prevention procedures as instructed. If the support person fails the health screening, he/she will not be permitted.

Please Do Not visit patients in the hospital if you are sick or under quarantine for COVID-19.

Clinic Patients:

• All patients and visitors or adult support persons will be given a mask upon arrival and are required to wear a mask.
• Patients presenting with respiratory issues will be required to wear a mask.

Call before going to a doctor's office or emergency room and tell them about your recent travel, exposure to COVID-19 and your symptoms if you experience:

Clinic 402-643-4800

Hospital 402-643-2971

Take an online screening for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) at Memorial ezVisit.

We understand that our patients are concerned about the growing cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States, particularly as confirmed cases now exist in Nebraska. As a health care system, we have existing infection control protocols that are critical processes for all patient care. Due to the nature of our normal business, we are well accustomed to the regular use of procedures and protocols to minimize the spread of infectious disease.  In an effort to reinforce existing infection control protocol and ensure we establish any changes that may be recommended with new information regarding COVID-19, an interdisciplinary team within Memorial Health Care Systems has been established.  

This interdisciplinary team is gathering information, receiving guidance and updates from the Department of Health and Human Services, Regional and District Health Departments, Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. The team attends teleconferences three times a week that are sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and Nebraska Hospital Association. We continue to receive alerts from DHHS via email and fax as new information develops between these meetings. Any information that is new in regards to our standard precautionary measures or new to screening of patients will be directed out of this group as soon as we learn about it. We are here to care for you and your family. Our priority always remains keeping our patients, guests and employees safe.

MHCS Resources

• COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Screening through Memorial ezVisit
• MHCS offers "rapid" COVID-19 testing on symptomatic patients
• MHCS test site 2 hours per week for the Test Nebraska initiative
• Drive-through COVID-19 testing each Friday from 9 - 11 a.m.
• Prescription curb side pickup call Seward Family Pharmacy 402-646-4607
• Family Medical Centers of Seward 402-643-4800 / Milford 402-761-3307 / Utica 402-534-2081
• Memorial Hospital and Emergency Services 402-643-2971

MHCS Updates

• All patients and visitors are required to have a pre-screening prior to entering our facilities.

We are here for you with safe care processes in place across MHCS:

• Proper protective gear for staff
• Patients provided masks
• Visitor restrictions
• Prescreening for symptoms
• Temperature checks at entrances
• Request disinfecting and cleaning
• Frequent hand sanitizing (including patients)
• Social distancing measures
• Separate care areas and care times for COVID-19 testing and non-COVID-19 patients
• COVID-19 triage at 402-643-4800, for triaging possible COVID-19 patients
• ezVisits and telehealth visits minimize people in given area

Getting back to more normal operations, MHCS has undertaken the careful expansion of clinic and hospital services. The areas that have now resumed care include:

• Elective surgeries (began May 4, 2020)
• Diabetic Education
• Diabetes Support Group (resumes July 21, 2020)
• Diabetes Prevention Program (resumes July 7, 2020)
• Cardiac Rehab (small groups)
• Cardiac Wellness Program (to open in phases beginning with the highest need patients)
• Outpatient Specialists Clinics
• Pulmonary Function Testing
• In-home and in-lab sleep studies
• Pulmonary Rehab (began June 1, 2020)

• COVID-19 testing when collected at the Family Medical Centers of Milford, Seward and Utica may either be billed by MHCS or it may be billed directly to the patient by our reference labs, Regional Pathology or Nebraska Public Health Lab. The test price billed by MHCS is $105. For information on prices that may be charged by our reference labs visit www.reglab.org or www.nphl.org.

• COVID-19 testing at Memorial Hospital is $105.  View a complete listing of Memorial Hospital Standard Charges.