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Temporarily Suspended Services |
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| Spencer Hospital Tightens Visitor/Patient Companion Restrictions |
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Effective Friday, March 20, patients are only permitted to have someone accompany them to an appointment or visit them while hospitalized under extenuating circumstances.
Exceptions permitted are as follows:
- One person may accompany/visit patient in Birth Center
- One parent/guardian may accompany/visit patient under age 18
- Immediate family members may visit patients receiving end-of-life care, as defined by physician
Visitors cannot rotate with another person during the patient’s stay in an effort to reduce the number of people who enter the hospital. Also, deliveries to patients of flowers, gifts, etc. have been temporarily suspended to avoid bringing in items from outside of the hospital. Though the volunteer gift shop is currently closed, gifts from the shop can be ordered online and delivered and ecards can be sent via the Spencer Hospital website. Online Gift Shop or E-Cards
To read our full list of Visitor Restriction policies, please follow the link below.
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| Spencer Medical Community Offers Option of Virtual Appointments |
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| Could you see your health provider from the comfort of your own home while safely social distancing? Yes, you potentially can!
Learn how Avera Medical Group Spencer, Milford Family Care, Sioux Rapids Family Care and several Spencer Hospital services are offering virtual appointments.
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| Spencer Hospital Acquires Limited Supplies for Rapid COVID-19 Testing |
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Spencer Hospital is one of 13 sites in Iowa which the State Hygienic Laboratory issued an Abbott ID Now analyzer which allows for a rapid COVID-19 test to be performed locally.
“This new testing method is a positive development and a step in the right direction; however, testing supplies for this platform are significantly limited and provided on allocation by federal and state governments,” explained Jordan Reed, Spencer Hospital laboratory director. |
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| Tips to Fill Your Pantry While Practicing Social Distancing |
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Are you trying to eat well with minimal grocery store trips? Doing so is definitely a concern for everyone who is practicing social distancing or self-isolating. You don’t have to put healthful eating on the back burner; this is the time to take good care of yourself and give your body the food that it needs to stay healthy.
Darlene DeWitt, Spencer Hospital's registered dietitian, provides insight on meal planning and tips on filling your pantry while trying to practice appropriate social distancing skills in her latest blog post.
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| COVID-19 and the Public Health Disease Investigation Process |
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| Iowa’s public health system plays a critical role in monitoring and investigating infectious diseases. Clay County Public Health Nurse Colette Rossiter responds to a number of questions people have asked about the role of public health, particularly related to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
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| Understanding COVID-19 Testing Options |
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As our community continues its efforts to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the related testing procedures illustrates the importance of pursuing measures to reduce a widespread outbreak which would stress local and regional resources. The ability to quickly and effectively test a larger portion of the population will be a vital component in lifting current restrictions in place to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent a COVID-19 outbreak.
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| How to Stay Active While Social Distancing |
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The recent COVID-19 pandemic has affected us in many ways with one being limiting many of us with avenues of ways to exercise. Fitness clubs and gyms have closed to promote social distancing and to prevent gatherings of numerous people, all in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
Since many of us are stuck at home with minimal equipment or no equipment at all, this may be a good time to visit the topic of body-weight training and include an example of things you can do at home with little or no equipment.
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| Home-Sewn Masks Protect Healthcare Workers' Official Masks |
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Spencer Hospital and the local medical clinics have been contacted by numerous kind-hearted people who would like to put their sewing skills to work, creating cotton masks. Such masks cannot be worn by healthcare workers in place of regular health-grade masks, yet they can be worn over healthcare workers' regular masks to help extend the life of these supplies which are in short supply.
Spencer Hospital is looking for more home-sewn masks. If you are interested in donating, please contact Mindy Gress, Spencer Regional Foundation director, at 712-264-6226 or giving@spencerhospital.org.
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| Donations of Home-Sewn Gowns Welcomed |
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“Due to the current limitations on supplies of disposable and cloth gowns, there may come a time during this response when commercially manufactured gowns are no longer readily available,” explained Mindy Gress, Spencer Regional Healthcare Foundation director. “Because of this concern, we are looking for homemade washable cloth gowns that can be worn by providers during patient care.”
If you are interested in donating, please contact Mindy Gress, Spencer Regional Foundation director, at 712-264-6226 or giving@spencerhospital.org
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