When Flu and Covid Collide

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As your local hospital & clinics go into flu & cold season as well as battle the Covid-19 virus, patients presenting at Memphis Medical Services with infectious disease symptoms may be asked to be seen at the Acute Care Clinic. All patients presenting at any of our Rural Health Clinics (Memphis, Lancaster, Wyaconda and Edina) and the Hospital are screened for fever and asked a series of questions.

Because influenza and Covid will collide, sooner rather than later, in an attempt to keep patients that have infectious disease symptoms separate from patients presenting for routine healthcare needs, we have renamed the “Covid Care Clinic” to the “Acute Care Clinic”. This clinic is on campus, and located across the parking lot from Memphis Medical Services & the Women’s Center in the former “IEC Building”.

Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants as well as nursing staff operate the Acute Care Clinic from 8 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday. During these hours, the nurse that operates the Covid Hotline phone (660-956-6820) is stationed at this clinic. When a patient calls the Covid Hotline and is instructed to come to the facility for a Covid test, that patient is instructed to park outside of this clinic in Parking Lot B (near the east end of the Surgery Center) in parking spots designated for the Acute Care Clinic, call the phone number on the sign to announce their arrival and then stay in their automobile.

Patients that need routine medical care, which should not be put off during this national health crisis, or patients that suffer from chronic conditions needing to follow up with a clinician at Memphis Medical Services, will likely be seen at MMS, unless the patient presents with a fever when arriving for their scheduled appointment.

Scotland County Hospital has many healthcare options and patients should not neglect routine healthcare or suffer with symptoms of a newly onset illness anytime, but especially during a pandemic. Memphis Medical Services, Lancaster Medical Services and Edina Medical Services are all open from 8 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Wyaconda Medical Services is open on Tuesdays and all of our Rural Health Clinics accept walk-in patients. If the walk-in clinic is full when a patient presents, please ask the reception staff for a same-day appointment or next-day appointment. Virtual Visits with any clinician are available during regular business hours at each clinic. Urgent Care is open at the Hospital on Saturdays from 8 am – 2 pm and the Hospital Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Because of the Covid pandemic, reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses, like flu, this fall and winter is more important than ever.  The Scotland County Hospital Medical Staff recommends getting a flu vaccination this fall, but getting vaccinated anytime during the flu season can help protect you. The Scotland County Hospital Community Flu Shot Clinic is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2020, from 8 am – 12 noon and Thursday, October 15th from 5 – 7 pm. Patients can park in Parking Lot B (Memphis Medical Services & Women’s Center Parking Lot) and enter through the Library Conference Room. The Scotland County Commission has allowed Scotland County Hospital money from the CARES Act to offer free Covid antibody testing to any Scotland County resident, additionally, men can get a free prostate cancer screening during the Flu Shot Clinics, upon request. The antibody testing and prostate cancer screening are blood draws.

For more information about symptoms of flu verses Covid, please go to: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm.