Sauk Prairie Healthcare
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Sauk Prairie Healthcare website.
Sauk Prairie Healthcare Asks Community to Sew Masks
Sauk Prairie Healthcare is asking people to sew masks for community members to wear as a critical step in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
First, and most importantly, SOCIAL DISTANCING MUST STILL BE MAINTAINED WHILE USING A MASK. Using a mask does not change the need to stay home except for essential tasks. The mask would only be used when making essential travel related trips out of the house.
Why wear a mask? When an individual talks or coughs, droplets may be produced and can land on other people or surfaces. A cloth mask is designed to reduce this from happening and prevent the accidental spread of the virus to OTHER people from the person wearing the mask. It is a WE NOT ME idea.
Sewing instructions can be found at https://www.
Please follow these washing and delivery instructions:
- Please wash the new masks in a washing machine with hot water and detergent (laundry soap). Then dry them on high heat.
- Wash your hands with soap and water and place the dry masks in a garbage bag (or similar) for transport.
- Place your name, email or phone number, and the quantity of masks on a piece of paper and put that in the bag too.
- Tie the bag closed.
- Bring to Sauk Prairie Hospital front entrance and place in drop off bin.
- Pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Thanks!
Sauk Prairie Healthcare will distribute the masks; stay tuned as those plans develop.
More details, including instructions for sewing and dropping off masks can be found at: https://www.
Sauk Prairie Healthcare has been working diligently to prepare for COVID-19 for several weeks. Our planning focuses on preparing to meet the needs of a large influx of patients requiring advanced critical care. Due to national supply chain disruptions for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other equipment needed to care for patients, many hospitals across the nation are turning to local businesses asking for assistance. Given your close ties to our community and the people who live here, we are asking for your help.
We need more of the following items:
1) Procedure masks (Ear loop procedure face masks are preferred. Masks designed to cover the user’s nose and mouth that provide a physical barrier to fluids and particulate materials)
2) N95 Masks (Must state N95 rating)
3) Gowns (isolation disposable type)
4) Exam gloves (nitrile or similar)
5) IV Pumps (BD Alaris preferred)
6) Ventilators and any associated tubing/valves/connector pieces to complete the ventilator circuit
7) Ambu Bag (bag valve masks)
8) Hepa filters designed for ventilator tubing, such as https://www.draeger.com/en-
If you use or have access to any of these items as part of your business, and would be willing and able to donate any extras, please deliver them directly to the hospital (260 26th Street, Prairie du Sac). Please direct any questions you may have to Foundation@
We may also try and contact you by phone to follow up on this request.
Thank you so much for your leadership and support during this crisis. We are grateful to all local businesses for their strong commitment to our communities.
Nathan D. Grunewald, MD
Urologic Surgeon
Chief Medical Innovation and Leadership Officer
WHO SHOULD GET TESTED FOR COVID-19
Sauk Prairie Healthcare will only be testing individuals with symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. We also prioritize testing those in our communities with medical vulnerabilities, such as transplantation, heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, age greater than 60. Travel history is still a consideration, both international and domestic travel to areas with community spread of the disease.
IMPORTANT: If you are NOT having an emergency condition, do not come to the Sauk Prairie Hospital Emergency Department to get tested. Attempting to use the Emergency Department for COVID-19 testing could result in you being sent home without being tested.
IMPORTANT: The tents in the parking lots at River Valley Clinic (Spring Green) and Lodi Clinic are NOT for drive up COVID-19 testing. These tents are in place to shelter our staff when they are conducting testing with established patients who meet COVID-19 testing criteria. Please do not come to the clinic without an appointment. If you think you may have COVID-19 or Flu symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), please call your physician’s office.
ELECTIVE SURGERIES AND PROCEDURES POSTPONED (3/20/20)
Sauk Prairie Healthcare is postponing elective surgeries and procedures beginning Friday, March 20 as part of precautions against the spread of the novel coronavirus, to keep our patients and care teams safe. Sauk Prairie Healthcare will continue to provide emergency surgical care; we are following the discretion of our surgeons to determine which surgeries are emergent. We will call patients whose appointments have been cancelled. Any patient with questions about an upcoming surgery scheduled at Sauk Prairie Healthcare should contact their physician.
VISITOR RESTRICTIONS (03/23/2020)
To keep our patients, visitors and staff as safe as possible during the COVID-19 situation, we are implementing the following visitor policy at all of our facilities (hospital, clinics, Wellspring):
HOSPITAL:
- All adult patients — no visitors
- Pediatric patients — one support person* allowed
- Birth Center — one support person* allowed
- End of life — visitors* allowed in coordination with nursing team
CLINICS, IMAGING AND LAB: no visitors (exception: one support person* for cognitively impaired or physically impaired patients)
*Note: In all cases, when a visitor/support person is allowed they must be symptom-free (fever, cough, shortness of breath). No visitors under age 16 will be allowed except under extraordinary circumstances.
VENDORS
- Supply deliveries and service technicians to our facilities will continue.
- Sales and consultants are suspended.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US PREPARE
We appreciate the great response we have received from so many community members asking how they can help us prepare for COVID19. There is a lot of information in the news and social media about ways to help. Citizens are being very creative and we encourage this enthusiasm. To best direct the response, we ask you to share some information with us so we can coordinate our community support. For details, go here: https://forms.gle/WBSgQ3gdkkEpGrHw6
VENDORS
Supply deliveries and service technicians to our facilities will continue.
Sales and consultants are suspended.
Other patient and visiting groups will be canceled on a case-by-case basis.
CHILDCARE FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS NEEDED
With the cancellation of schools and the importance of the health care workforce at this time, Sauk Prairie Healthcare is making an effort to assist employees in finding child care. This process is a way to connect those in need of child care with those in the community who are able to provide child care. If you or someone you know has the ability to watch the child of a local health care provider, please consider helping out so that those workers can continue to work and address the health care needs that we are likely to face in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead. For details and to offer childcare, go to www.saukprairiehealthcare.org/childcare.
APPOINTMENTS, CLASSES AND EVENTS
Call head so we can better care for you
If you have an appointment or need care at any of our clinic locations, hospital, or Wellspring, and are experiencing a fever, cough, other respiratory symptoms, traveled to high risk areas, or have interacted with someone who has COVID-19, please call ahead so we can better care for you.
Sauk Prairie Hospital: 608-643-3311
Better Health Center: 608-643-7574
Lodi Clinic: 608-592-3296
Orthopedic Associates: 608-643-2471
Plain Clinic: 608-546-4211
River Valley Clinic: 608-588-2502
Surgical Associates: 608-643-2431
Wellspring / Rehab: 608-643-7572
WALK-IN WEDNESDAY
Our Walk-in Wednesday no-appointment screening mammogram service is suspended. To schedule a screening mammogram for a future date after April 1, call 608-643-7274.
CLASSES & EVENTS
For questions about specific classes, support groups and events, visit the listings in our Classes and Events section.
WELLSPRING WELLNESS CENTER
GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES: All group exercise classes scheduled at Wellspring are cancelled, effective Monday 3/16. Your account will be credited for the last week of classes. The Spring session of classes, scheduled to start on Monday 3/30, is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-April. Please continue to watch for updates.
WELLNESS CENTER: Wellspring’s Fitness Center will be closed to the public beginning Wednesday, 3/18 at 9pm and will remain closed until mid-April. This includes no exercise classes, open pool times and massage therapy services. There will be no charges for your April membership.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND TRAININGS AT SAUK PRAIRIE HEALTHCARE
Sauk Prairie Healthcare has made the decision to suspend community groups for meetings, trainings etc., effectively immediately. This suspension will be revaluated every 30 days.
IMPORTANT RESOURCES
UW Health COVID-19 Informational Hotline
(608) 720-5300
8am-11pm, Mon-Fri
7am-11pm, Sat-Sun
Sauk County Emergency Management Coronavirus Hotline
(608) 355-3200
Columbia County Health Department COVID-19 Hotline
608-742-9253
From the CDC
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
About COVID-19
COVID-19 Information for Travelers
Sauk Prairie Healthcare
SaukPrairieHealthcare.org/coronavirus-covid-19
Facebook.com/saukprairiehealthcare
(608) 643-3311
Prairie Clinic
PrairieClinic.com
(608) 643-3351
WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU ARE SICK
CDC Coronavirus Self-Checker
Call, Don’t Walk In.
VERY IMPORTANT: For everyone’s safety, if you think you may be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath), CALL your healthcare provider so that we can appropriately triage you and prepare for your visit if necessary. DO NOT show up without an appointment. To learn more about symptoms and how to protect yourself, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Symptoms and Prevention
Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Prairie Clinic are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines in asking our patients screening questions. We are also asking you to follow these steps if you are experiencing mild respiratory symptoms, including fever, cough and/or shortness of breath:
Stay home when you are sick and limit contact with others.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizing gel.
Cover your cough with your elbow and sneeze within a tissue.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects in your home (cellphones, for example)
Do not travel while sick.
If you are experiencing severe respiratory symptoms, call 911.
Who Should Wear a Facemask?
If you enter our facility, you must wear a mask if you have:
ANY signs of respiratory illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
A weakened immune system, chronic lung condition, or are already required to wear a mask in public.
Flown or taken a cruise in the last 2 weeks.
Facemasks are in short supply; please use only ONE mask per person. If you do not meet the criteria above, you do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask).
I Think I May Have COVID-19 or the Flu. Should I Still Come in for My Appointment/Procedure?
No. If you are feeling ill (fever, cough, shortness of breath) and it is not related to your appointment, please call so we can discuss your symptoms further.
PATIENT APPOINTMENTS
Expect Non-Essential Appointments to be Rescheduled
To support social distancing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, Sauk Prairie Healthcare is evaluating all patient care appointments and procedures to determine which ones can safely be postponed. Any decisions made about changes or postponements of appointments or procedures will be communicated directly to you as our patients.
I Don’t Have COVID-19 or Flu Symptoms. Should I Still Come in for My Appointment/Procedure?
Yes. If you have a scheduled clinic visit, procedure, treatment, test, surgery or hospital admission, it has not changed. Please proceed with your scheduled appointments as usual. Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Prairie Clinic will continue to follow CDC guidelines as they are updated.
Prairie Clinic Walk-In Express Clinic Suspended
Prairie Clinic has suspended their Walk-In Express clinic until further notice. Same-day appointments will be available but patients need to call for an appointment.
PROTECTING OUR PATIENTS AND EMPLOYEES
Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Prairie Clinic are working together closely to ensure we are prepared to meet the community’s healthcare needs 24/7/365. Our COVID-19 incident command team meets daily to evaluate the evolving situation and coordinate logistics, supplies, testing and communication. We have modified operations to limit exposures for patients, families and staff.
Sauk Prairie Healthcare is a member of Wisconsin’s Emergency Preparedness Region 5 Healthcare Coalition. We have emergency preparedness plans in place to handle an influx of patients due to a surge in influenza cases and coronavirus. We are continually monitoring and assessing our community’s needs. We are being proactive and dedicating the necessary resources to address this global pandemic.
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