In an effort to protect patients and co-workers, hospitals within Mercy Springfield Communities will begin screening all visitors for illness at 7 a.m. Tuesday, March 17.

This includes:

• Mercy Hospital Springfield
• Mercy Kids Children’s Hospital
• Mercy Heart Hospital Springfield
• Mercy Orthopedic Hospital Springfield
• Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Springfield
• Mercy Hospital Aurora
• Mercy Hospital Cassville
• Mercy Hospital Lebanon
• Mercy St. Francis Hospital (Mountain View, Missouri)

Upon arrival, visitors should be prepared to have their temperature checked and provide information regarding their recent travel history. Due to facility logistics at Mercy St. Francis Hospital, the cafeteria will be closed to visitors.

At Mercy Hospital Springfield, all visitors should use the main south entrance. Patients can still access valet parking at the Heart Hospital (west) entrance.

Visitors will be required to go through screening every time they come into the hospital. The current visitor restrictions, outlined below, will continue to be enforced.

Patients can have one visitor per day. Exceptions may be made for those who are near end-of-life.

Only parents will be allowed in our neonatal intensive care unit, and in-person prenatal classes are canceled. You can access online prenatal classes at www.mercy.net/springfieldmoms

Unless they are seeking treatment, no one under age 18 will be permitted in Mercy hospitals or clinics.

All patients coming to the emergency room (ER) in Springfield should continue to follow the signs and use the north entrance of the hospital.

Laboring mothers in Springfield should continue to come in the Mercy Kids (east) entrance, as should patients coming to our St. Jude affiliate clinic. This will separate our pediatric cancer patients, who have weakened immune systems, from the general visitor population.

Patients with COVID-19 have a fever, dry cough, and may experience shortness of breath. Mercy patients with mild symptoms can access a virtual “e-visit” through MyMercy (www.mymercy.net), which is also available on the app store.

If you have more severe symptoms and suspect you may have the virus, please call 417-820-2115 on your way to the ER at Mercy Hospital Springfield. We will be prepared to greet you at the door. For the latest on what Mercy is doing to prepare and respond to COVID-19, please visit www.mercy.net/covid19