Pella Regional Health Center is closing a Patient Assessment Center (PAC) that began seeing patients with respiratory or infectious symptoms in late March. The PAC will see those individuals through Sunday, May 31, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Wittenberg, and starting Monday, patients with respiratory or infectious symptoms will go to the Walk-In Clinic at Pella Medical Clinic.

He says patients with cough, upper respiratory symptoms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, sinus or ear infection, and other respiratory or infectious symptoms will be directed to a designated parking spot to wait for car-side screening and registration. When it is time for the appointment patients will be called, asked to wear a face mask and be directed to meet a nurse inside to be taken directly into a designated room so they do not have to register at the desk or be in the waiting areas.

Patients who need to be swabbed for a COVID test will be directed to a designated parking spot to wait for car-side service. Patients needing only a COVID test will not need to enter the building in most cases. Those individuals who do not have respiratory or infectious symptoms will be asked to park their car and proceed to the entrance for screening. All patients over the age of two are required to wear a face mask or covering. If patients do not have one, they will be given one to use during their appointment.

Pella Regional has resumed most services and has taken extra safety precautions to minimize exposure to COVID-19 while visiting our facilities. For more information on specific safety precautions, visit PellaHealth.org/taking-safety-seriously/.