Preventive care appointments

Many Great River Health clinics are slowly resuming regular schedules. Some in-person appointments may be available for people who are not at high risk for COVID-19. Telehealth appointments through digital devices or landline telephone calls are available.

Elective screenings, diagnostic tests & surgeries

Great River Medical Center is beginning to lift its restriction on 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.

Call Center

319-768-1009 or 800-871-3313

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

Get answers to questions about respiratory symptoms and potential exposure to the illness.

Respiratory Center

Callers who have a cough or difficulty breathing and a fever may be referred to a Respiratory Center. People with symptoms that are tolerable are encouraged to remain at home and self-quarantine for at least seven days or until they are fever-free without medication and have no symptoms for three days.

Great River QuickCare

624 S. Roosevelt Ave., Burlington

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

Appointments are required.

Besides the Call Center, Respiratory Center appointments can be made through other Great River Medical Center and Great River Health primary-care clinics.

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 the nationwide outbreak is contained. 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, a volunteer-based program, is closed. However, SHIIP volunteers are checking phone messages. Call 319-768-3342. You also can call 800-Medicare with your questions.

Cafeteria

The hospital cafeteria is closed to the public.

Gift Shop

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

The gift shops at Great River Medical Center and Fort Madison Community Hospital are closed.

Great River Health Fitness

Watch our video about reopening the gym.

General Information

• Because capacity is limited to practice social distancing, you must have a reservationn to use the gym or pool, or participate in classes. Sign up using our new Club Automation portal or call 319-768-4191.
• You must pass a screening to enter our facility. If you feel sick, please stay home.
• Wearing a mask while exercising is optional. If you enter the building anywhere other than Wellness Plaza, you must wear a mask until you arrive at Health Fitness.
• Use hand sanitizer when you enter and before you leave.
• Bring water. Water fountains and bottle refill stations are temporarily unavailable.
• Practice social distancing at all times.

Gym Information

• Individual exercise areas on the main level and track are marked by tape to promote social distancing.
• Please limit your time on cardiovascular machines to 30 minutes during peak times when others may be waiting.
• Use only one piece of equipment at a time.
• Lockers, showers and towels are unavailable.

Pool Information

• Bring a towel. Towels will not be provided.
• Enter the locker room through the back hallway by the pool.
• You must shower before getting in the pool. Staff will check!
• Get the equipment you will use before entering the pool. Leave it in the designated “dirty” area for cleaning.
• Pool times are staggered to limit the number of people in the locker room. Please don’t linger.
• Lockers and showers remain closed to people using the gym.

Temporary Hours

We will be open for intermittent periods between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday.

Weekday Schedule

5 to 7 a.m.

8 to 10 a.m. - 65+ only

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

1 to 2 p.m. - Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase III and disease-specific programs only

3 to 6 p.m.

Cleaning & Sanitizing

Cleanliness and sanitization have always been a priority at Great River Medical Center, and that’s true now more than ever. This is our plan for you:

• On weekdays, our gym will close briefly four times a day for cleaning and sanitizing using a solution proven to kill COVID-19. It also will be cleaned at the end of the day.
• While we are open, we will sanitize high-touch areas like handrails and door handles frequently.
• 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. For effectiveness, the cleaning solution must be on the equipment for 10 minutes before it is used again, even if the equipment appears dry. A staff member will turn the sign to “CLEAN” when it’s ready to use.

Membership & Billing

Because we are reopening the second week of June, we will prorate your June fee 25%. We understand you may be uncomfortable returning to the gym at this time. That’s OK. We want you to feel comfortable, safe and ready. To allow you time to notify us if you wish to remain inactive a while longer, we are waiting until Monday, June 15, to reactivate billing.

We will issue you a credit for March 17 - the day Health Fitness closed - to March 31, in the form of 15 days added to your membership expiration date.

Visitors, outpatients and employees will be asked about the presence of respiratory symptoms and recent travel, and their temperatures will be taken.

Everyone inside the hospital and its facilities is required to wear a mask. Patients are encouraged to bring their own or they are provided at the screening stations. If people have a condition that prohibits them from wearing a mask, they must have a note from their health care provider. Screening station workers cannot make exceptions.

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

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

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.

Great River Health-Keokuk

Primary care, specialty clinic, physical therapy, mammography and DEXA bone-density scanning

7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Urgent care

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Respiratory patients

Patients who are experiencing respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath or coughing, are asked to call 319-524-6274 for an appointment.

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

Outpatient therapies - Great River Medical Center & Universal Therapy Group

Great River Medical Center has resumed these outpatient services on a limited schedule:

• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Speech-language pathology

These outpatient services remain discontinued until further notice:

• Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase II
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Universal Therapy Group has resumed physical therapy services on a limited schedule.

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.

QuickCare Services

QuickCare services have relocated to Familly Medicine-Great River Medical Center, 1201 W. Agency Rd., West Burlington.

Appointments are required. Call 319-768-4320.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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

APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED.

To get an appointment, Iowans should:

1. Take the online assessment at TestIowa.com
2. Choose "Addtional 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 1 p.m.

Universal Fitness will resume regular hours Monday, June 8:

• Monday to Thursday - 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday - 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday - 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday - 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members will be asked about COVID-19 symptoms and recent travel, and have their temperature taken. Those who don’t pass the screening may not work out.

• Use hand sanitizer when arriving and before leaving.
• Practice social distancing at all times.
• Lockers and showers are unavailable.

Visiting Restrictions - Updated July 8

To protect our patients, employees and community from potential coronavirus infection, visiting is allowed only in designated areas.

All visitors

Visitors must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Pass COVID-19 screening
• Wear a mask at all times while in the building
• May not leave and return in the same day
• Stay in the patient’s room or designated visitor area

Inpatients

• General visiting hours: Noon to 6 p.m.
• Visitors must use the main hospital entrance.
• Inpatients may have one visitor for the length of their stay. That person may visit only once a day.
• Patients will designate their visitor at the beginning of their stay.
• Clergy may visit patients. They must wear a face shield over their mask during the visit.
• Inpatients who are having a procedure may have one visitor present during the procedure.
• Patients being admitted from the Emergency Department may have one visitor for up to two hours to help with completing the patient history and getting settle in the patient room.

Patients in these situations may not have visitors:

• COVID-19 Unit
• Under investigation for COVID-19
• Isolation precautions (restrictive and contact precaution patients may have visitors)

Area-specific information

Visiting times vary.

• Behavioral Health Unit - Visiting hours are 3 to 5 p.m.
• Cancer treatment - One visitor
• Clinics (most) - Adult patients who require a caregiver and children under 18 may have one visitor.
  • Women's Health - One visitor for ultrasound appointments only
• Day Hospital - One visitor
• Day Surgery- One visitor
• Diagnostic Imaging - No visitors unless the patient is under 17 or needs assistance
• Emergency Department - One visitor. Additional visitors may be allowed based on the patient’s situation.
• End of life when death is imminent - Two visitors
• Heart & Vascular Center - One visitor
• Laboratory testing - No visitors unless the patient is under 17 or needs assistance
• 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 - One parent or guardian at a time

Exceptions

Exceptions that require approval for visitation outside of visiting hours by the provider and hospital administration include:

• 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 that require a caregiver to help provide safety may have one visitor overnight.

Other special circumstances may be approved by the house supervisor or unit director.

Screening process

Visitors will be asked about the presence of respiratory symptoms and recent travel, and their temperatures will be taken.

COVID-19 (also known as Coronavirus) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.

• The virus that causes COVID-19 is new. Therefore, anyone who has not already been infected is at risk.
• Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms.
• Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.

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 exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.

• Contact with someone with the virus who is sneezing and/or coughing.
• Indirect contact from contaminated hands and objects soiled with nasal and throat secretions, such as tissues.

• 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.

We are grateful for donations of homemade face masks for potential use in a COVID-19 outbreak in our community. Links to two patterns are below. Please follow one of these patterns using 100% tightly woven cotton fabric.

Drop off masks at the main entrance to the hospital. They will be washed at the hospital. Using CDC guidelines, the hospital will determine when cloth masks would be used by patients with no respiratory symptoms. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms and staff who care for them will use surgical masks unless the nationwide supply is exhausted.

• Olson Mask Pattern
• How to make a face mask