JCH&L Fairbury Clinic to Offer Virtual Visits; JCH&L Plymouth Clinic Closed Until Further Notice; Several Outpatient Clinics Cancelled

JCH&L Fairbury Clinic will offer virtual visits beginning Monday, March 23. Virtual visits will offer a great option for patients to be seen by a family medicine provider without leaving their home.

Virtual visits may be used for any type of medical concern. They could be especially helpful for those who have symptoms they feel might indicate COVID-19.

Virtual visits will be submitted to insurance, just as a regular office visit would, but are less costly than office visits. Regular deductibles and copays apply. The patient must have a smartphone or other type of device, such as laptop (must have camera and microphone), iPad, or tablet. If a patient is going to use a family member’s device, they will need to know the phone number or email when they make their appointment.

The process is simple:

Call JCH&L Fairbury Clinic at 402-729-3361 and dial 1 to make an appointment.
Staff will need to know your name, cell phone number or email (if you wish to use a laptop), and symptoms or the reason for the visit. They will ask if there a provider you prefer to see.
The clinic staff will send you a link. At about 10 minutes prior to your appointment time, you will follow the link.
If you are an established patient you do not need to fill out the demographic information online.
You will sign a consent and be put in the virtual “waiting room” until your medical provider joins you.
If you require testing, you will receive instructions from your medical provider.
Once the appointment is complete, if you need a prescription, the clinic staff will transmit the prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.

“We are excited to be able to offer this new virtual visit option to our patients,” said Erin Starr, chief nursing officer at Jefferson Community Health & Life. “As our society works to reduce and delay the spread of COVID-19, virtual visits are a way to seek medical care from your own home.”

To make an appointment, dial 402-729-3361 and choose option 1. If you have general questions about the process, please call patient services at 402-729-3361, and choose option 2.

Jefferson Community Health & Life continues to expand its precautionary measures in preparation for possible cases of COVID-19. To date, no cases have been identified in Jefferson County or surrounding counties, but the Nebraska number of cases diagnosed continues to grow. In order to protect our staff, patients, residents, and customers, JCH&L is taking the following measures.

As of Friday, March 20:

JCH&L Plymouth Clinic will be closed until further notice.
Reduced price blood screenings scheduled for March 23-27 in Fairbury and Plymouth have been cancelled.
Outpatient visits, surgeries and procedures with several specialists have been cancelled for next week: Podiatry (Dr. Williamson), orthopedic (Dr. Harris), and cataracts (Dr. Sutton). All patients with appointments are being contacted.

Reminders of precautions already in place:

JCH&L Burkley Fitness Center is closed.
JCH&L Fairbury Clinic is scheduling patients who have respiratory symptoms in the afternoons, and patients without respiratory symptoms in the mornings. Injections and blood pressure checks will also be in the morning.
The clinics ask that only one other person accompany any patient to the clinic for appointments.
JCH&L Fairbury and Plymouth clinics will no longer take walk-ins. Same day appointments are typically available. Please call 402-729-3361 to make a Fairbury Clinic appointment, and
402-729-6888 to make a Plymouth Clinic appointment.
Patients are encouraged NOT to drop bill payments off at the clinics. Please call for other alternatives.
Bryan Heart Institute will not be having clinics at JCH&L Outpatient Services effective immediately until further notice.
JCH&L Gardenside and Cedarwood are CLOSED to all non-essential personnel, including family members.

The JCH&L cafeteria is closed to the public. It will remain open only to staff.
Hospital visitors are limited to 2 per patient room. All will be screened for recent travel to areas of high incidence/community spread, signs and symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat), and whether they have had any contact with persons who have been diagnosed or are under investigation for having COVID-19.
Hospital visitors may use the main entrance from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or the ER/Outpatient Entrance (pick up the phone to reach the nurses station) from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
All support groups and outside programs have been postponed until further notice. This includes Parkinson’s Support Group, Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, Health Today and Smart Moves lifestyle change program
Sterling Connection trips for March and April have been cancelled.
Patients for all services continue to be screened. Hospital or clinic patients with positive screening results will be cared for appropriately and given guidance and direction. Non-essential services may be rescheduled.
Patients who have symptoms of possible respiratory illness are encouraged to call for screening over the telephone before arriving at any medical facility.