Memorial Health System Sets Up Respiratory Screening Clinic in Springfield

By Benjamin Cox on March 16, 2020 at 11:22am

People in the region concerned they have COVID-19 have a location to get screened. Memorial Health System will open a respiratory screening clinic at its South Sixth ExpressCare location at 10 a.m. today to screen people for the virus.

The clinic at 2950 South Sixth St. will operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. To 8 p.m. People coming to the respiratory clinic should call 217-588-4019 prior to arrival. The clinic is open to anyone with a respiratory problem that could be COVID-19. Chief Medical Officer for Memorial Health Systems Dr. Raj Govindaiah says it’s a way for people to avoid walking into their local Emergency Room or Physician’s Clinic to avoid potentially spreading the virus.

Healthcare providers are stationed outside the clinic to screen patients and determine the appropriate level of care. The clinic will provide COVID-19 testing for those patients who meet the guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Public Health. If patients come to the clinic without setting up an appointment, they will be directed to a parking space and be given a way to set up a screening appointment. Patients being screened at the clinic will be taken in through an alternative entrance, be screened inside, and then be returned to their mode of transportation via the same entrance.

In addition to the hotline, people can also notify staff of their visit through the MemorialNow virtual care app or the On My Way feature on the Memorial app.

New visitor restrictions went into effect today at all Memorial Health System facilities in response to the COVID-19 virus. One visitor will be permitted per patient at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville and clinics for Memorial Physician Services. Pediatric patients under 18 will be allowed two visitors or caregivers. All visitors must be 18 years old or older and show no sign of illness. No visitors are allowed at the Transitional Care Unit at Passavant.

For more information, check ChooseMemorial.org/COVID19.