Preventive care appointments

Most Great River Health clinics have resumed regular schedules. In-person appointments are available. Telehealth appointments through digital devices or landline telephone calls also are available. Call your provider’s office for information about scheduling.

Elective screenings, diagnostic tests & surgeries

Great River Medical Center is offering most screenings, diagnostic tests and surgeries. This includes outpatient occupational, physical and speech therapy, mammography and DEXA bone-density scanning. Call your provider’s office for information about scheduling.

Get billing and insurance help at home​

To practice social distancing and avoid COVID-19 screening at hospital entrances, you can access these services from home:

· Pay a bill - Click here or call 319-768-3625, and press option 2 visit.

· Enroll in Presumptive Medicaid or Healthcare Marketplace - Call 319-768-3625, and press option 2.

For additional billing information, including price transparency, visit our Billing & Financial Services page.

Events

Most public events offered by Great River Health have been canceled until further notice. However, some clinical programs will be held. Please visit greatriverhealth.org/events or Facebook for more information.

Breastfeeding Clinic

The weekly Breastfeeding Clinic is canceled until further notice. Mothers who need individual help with breastfeeding or checking their babies’ weight may call 319-768-2618 to make an appointment.

Senior Insurance Information Program (SHIIP)

SHIIP volunteers are checking phone messages. Call 319-768-3342. You also can call 800-Medicare with your questions.

Gift Shop

Great River Gift Shop is accepting telephone orders for flowers and gifts for patients or staff. Call 319-768-3480.

Great River Health is participating in a program researching the use of donated blood as a treatment for people with severe COVID-19. The Convalescent Plasma Expanded Access Program is led by Mayo Clinic.

How convalescent plasma helps

Plasma is the liquid portion of blood. People who have recovered from COVID-19 have antibodies that fight the virus in their plasma. Giving this antibody-rich blood product - convalescent plasma - to people who are newly diagnosed with COVID-19 may lead to faster recovery.

Recovered patients can donate plasma at Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center in Burlington. Great River Health encourages donations of convalescent plasma to help others in our community.

Criteria for donating blood plasma

Donors must meet all required screening criteria for blood donation and additional FDA criteria. Donors must:

• Be at least 28 days from recovery of their COVID-19 infection
• Have had a positive molecular test (also called PCR or polymerase chain reaction) showing they have a COVID-19 infection. If you are unsure what kind of test you had, please ask your health care provider.
• Meet all standard eligibility criteria for blood donation

How to donate blood plasma

If you meet the criteria, please visit https://www.bloodcenter.org/hospitals/patient-services/convalescent-plasma/ to complete the self-referral or care provider form. The blood center’s Patient Services team will follow up with you to determine if you are eligible to donate and schedule a donation appointment.

If you have questions, please call 833-610-1025.

Health Fitness & Universal Fitness

Health Fitness hours

5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday

7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

Universal Fitness hours

5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday

7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

You Must Make Appointments

To ensure social distancing, you must make an appointment to exercise using our Club Automation membership portal (look under “Classes”) or calling 319-768-4191 (Health Fitness) or 319-208-1744 (Universal Fitness).

When You Arrive

• Please arrive no more than 10 minutes before your exercise appointment.
• Allow extra time for health screening when you enter the building. You will be asked questions about COVID-19 symptoms and recent travel, and have your temperature taken. If you don’t pass the screening, you will be asked to leave the building.
• Please consider wearing a mask when you are not actively exercising.
• After passing the screening, scan your membership card and follow the signs in the gym.

For Everyone’s Safety

• The gyms will be cleaned thoroughly during closed periods and at the end of the day. When we are open, we sanitize high-touch areas like handrails and door handles frequently.
• Use hand sanitizer when you enter and before you leave.
• Individual exercise areas are marked by tape on the main level and track (Health Fitness).
• Practice social distancing at all times.
• Use only one piece of equipment at a time. Please clean equipment with a wipe and switch the sign to “DIRTY” when you are finished using it. A staff member also will clean the equipment and then turn the sign to “CLEAN” when it’s ready to use.

Other information

• Please limit your time on cardiovascular machines to 30 minutes at peak times when others may be waiting.
• Bring water. Water fountains and bottle refill stations are temporarily unavailable.
• Only people using the Health Fitness pool may use lockers and showers.
• Towels are unavailable.

Everyone entering the hospital is asked about the presence of COVID symptoms and exposure, and their temperatures are taken. If potential visitors are positive in any area, they will not be allowed to visit.

All potential visitors and outpatients are screened before entering the hospital through these locations:

• Main entrance - 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:45 a.m. to Noon Saturday
• Emergency Department entrance - 24 hours a day
• Cancer Care Plaza - 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Mercy Plaza - 6:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Wellness Plaza - 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday; Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday

All other entrances are closed.

Clinics that are not attached to Great River Medical Center are also screening patients, visitors and employees. Masks are also required.

If you need copies of your medical records, please call before coming to the hospital. We will give you a pickup time and deliver your records to your vehicle. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Fort Madison Community Hospital - 319-376-2130
• Great River Medical Center - 319-768-1900

Heritage Family Pharmacy

To protect patients and employees, only drive-through service is open at Heritage Family Pharmacy at Family Medicine. If you need a refill, please call 319-753-3681, or use Great River Health’s patient portal before coming to the drive-through window.

Respiratory Clinics

Fort Madison Community Hospital and Henry County Health Center offer clinics for people who have respiratory symptoms that may indicate COVID-19. Because these services are provided in locations where other patients may be present, appointments are required. Most patients should call the clinic before entering. Instructions will be provided when making an appointment.

Monday through Friday services

Fort Madison

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fort Madison Community Hospital

Suite 120

5445 Avenue O

319-376-2134

Mount Pleasant

9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

Physicians & Clinics of HCHC Acute Care Services

407 S. White St.

319-385-6540

Weekend services

Fort Madison

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Fort Madison Community Hospital

Main Clinic

5445 Avenue O

319-376-2134

What is telehealth?

Telehealth allows you to connect with your health care provider without coming to a clinic. There are two types of visits:

• Telephone appointment
• Video appointment using your Android or Apple smartphone

Why telehealth?

Practicing social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is a high priority. It is important to continue serving our patients while reducing their risk for exposure to the virus. During this time, we are offering telehealth because the government has provided waivers to hospitals and health systems for the service.

Make an appointment

Call the clinic you wish to visit and request an appointment for a telehealth visit with a provider.

Download the app for video appointments

Attend a telehealth video appointment

• Telephone - You will receive a telephone call to begin your visit.
• Video - Log in to Great River UC a few minutes before your appointment time.

Clinics offering telehealth visits

For more information, visit Telehealth

To get an appointment, Iowans should:

1. Take the online assessment at TestIowa.com
2. Choose "Additional scheduling options"
3. Select "I would like to be tested at a local clinic."
4. Follow the remaining instructions.

• Test Iowa appointments at this location will be made by telephone. The number to call is 319-768-1009 or 800-871-3313.
• A unique ID is required to make an appointment.

Great River Health Drive-Thru Testing Site

Des Moines County Fairgrounds on the campus of Southeastern Community College (SCC) - MAP

1015 S. Gear Ave.

West Burlington, IA 52655

Monday through Friday

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Local health departments are responsible for giving the COVID-19 vaccine to the public. Call the health department in the county where you live to get more information. Here are the telephone numbers for our service area:

• Des Moines County, 319-208-5668 or book online: HERE
• Hancock County (Illinois), 217-357-2171
• Henderson County (Illinois), 309-627-2812
• Henry County, 319-385-0779
• Lee County, 319-376-1077
• Louisa County, 319-523-3981

Visiting Restrictions - Updated March 15

To protect our patients, employees and community from potential COVID-19 infection, visiting is limited at Great River Medical Center.

ALL VISITORS

Visitors must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Pass COVID-19 screening
• Use the main entrance Monday through Friday, and the Emergency Department entrance Saturday and Sunday
• Wear a mask at all times while in the building
• Stay in the patient’s room or designated visitor area

INPATIENTS

General visiting hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Inpatients may designate one visitor for the length of their stay. That person may visit once a day.
• Patients who are being admitted from the Emergency Department may have one visitor for up to two hours to help with completing the patient history and getting settled in the patient room.
• Inpatients who are having a procedure may have one visitor present during the procedure.
• Clergy may visit patients. They must wear a face shield over their mask during the visit.
• Inpatients who are being discharged may have one family member come to the patient’s room up to two hours before discharge. This time will be used for education, reviewing new medications or treatments, and answering questions about the transition to home.

Patients in these situations may not have visitors:

• Under investigation for COVID-19
• Isolation precautions, except for restrictive and contact precautions

Area-specific visiting

• Behavioral Health Unit - Visiting hours are 3 to 5 p.m.

Visiting hours don't apply in these areas:

• End of life when death is imminent - Two visitors
• Obstetrics Unit - One partner or birth support person
• Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients - One birth parent plus one significant other
• Pediatrics Unit/patients under 18 - Two parents or guardians

Exceptions

Exceptions that require approval for visitation outside of visiting hours by the unit director:

• Family members may participate in care planning meetings when required.
• Patient has transitioned to comfort care.
• Patients with disruptive behavior whose family member is key to their care may have one visitor overnight.
• Patients who have altered mental status or developmental delays who require a caregiver to help provide safety may have one visitor overnight.
• Other special circumstances may be approved by the unit director.

OUTPATIENTS

• Cancer treatment - One visitor
• Clinics - Adult patients who require a caregiver or emotional support person and children under 18 may have one visitor who must remain in the patient's room for the entire visit.
• Women’s Health - One visitor for obstetrics patients
• Day Hospital - One visitor
• Day Surgery - One visitor
• Diagnostic Imaging - No visitors unless the patient is under 18 or needs assistance
• Emergency Department - No visitors unless approved by staff based on the patient’s clinical condition.
• Heart & Vascular Center - One visitor
• Laboratory testing - No visitors unless the patient is under 18 or needs assistance

Visitors must pass a screening and stay in the patient’s room or designated visitor area. Patients with visitor exceptions are limited to the same visitor for the entire time they are hospitalized.

Screening process

• Visitors will be asked about the presence of COVID-19 symptoms and exposure, and their temperatures will be taken.

• Visitors will receive a mask if they don’t have one. It must be worn at all times in the building.

• Visitors must be at least 18 years old.

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then discard in a trash.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.