Adjustments made for COVID-19 at Lincoln Hospital and Clinics

DAVENPORT -- While Lincoln Hospital and Clinics have not had any confirmed COVID-19 cases in their facilities, they have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks to protect patients and employees from the virus and prevent a community outbreak of the disease.

In the event that an outbreak should occur here, Lincoln Hospital would be the frontlines of medical care for our communities.

"Like many hospitals and healthcare providers are doing right now, we had to consider how to best protect our community and staff immediately and what needs to be put into place should an outbreak occur in Lincoln County," Chief Clinical Officer Jennifer Larmer said. "We've been working closely with the Lincoln County Health Department and the Washington State Hospital Association, as well as utilizing CDC and Washington State Department of Health resources to determine the best course of actions to take."

Lincoln Hospital is currently taking the following actions:

– The Wilbur Clinic location is closed to the public until April 6. Patients with scheduled appointments have been notified by phone to either reschedule or attend their appointment at our Davenport Clinic location. Virtual visit options for appointments are available. The phone line for the Wilbur Clinic will remain staffed.

Lincoln Hospital and Clinics are isolating patients with respiratory illnesses who need appointments in the clinics. Appointments will be scheduled at a respiratory screening clinic located in an isolation area at the Davenport Clinic. Patients are asked to park at the back of the Davenport Clinic and enter through the back door where they will be seen in a separate, quarantined part of the building.

– The Davenport and Reardan clinic locations will remain open for routine visits and chronic disease care. Please call to make an appointment. Same-day appointments are still available.

Patients will be screened upon arrival . Whether you are accessing the hospital or the Davenport Clinic for your regularly scheduled appointment, you will be screened by a health professional at an outside screening checkpoint and directed on where to enter the facilities:

- Lincoln Hospital Emergency Room and Ambulance will enter through the main entrance at the front of the hospital.

– Lincoln Hospital outpatient care (Lab, Imaging, Outpatient Nursing Services) will enter through the southwest entrance (usually reserved for the ambulance).

– Davenport Clinic patients with appointments who do not have respiratory symptoms will enter through the Davenport Clinic's main entrance.

– Patients from the Reardan or Davenport clinics who have respiratory symptoms and have an appointment at our screening clinic will enter through the back door of the Davenport Clinic.

– Physical therapy patients at Peak Fitness Physical Therapy location are being screened for COVID-19 symptoms upon check-in and may be asked to wear a mask and/or reschedule their appointment.

– The Lincoln Hospital Surgical Clinic, Pain Clinic and Orthopedic Clinic will be performing essential procedures, surgeries and clinic visits only. Elective surgeries are postponed. They are still accepting and processing referrals and staff is still on site to answer your care questions over the phone.

– Visitor restrictions are currently in place at Lincoln Hospital. No visitors are allowed to enter the facility with the exception of one parent to accompany a pediatric patient and one visitor for a patient experiencing end-of-life care.

There has been one confirmed COVID-19 case in Lincoln County. That person was tested in Spokane, recovered from the disease at home, and is no longer in quarantine.