St. John's Health Issues Patient Health Advisory: COVID-19

St. John’s Health continues to monitor the evolution of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and work closely with partner agencies to protect our community.

In most cases, COVID-19, like the seasonal flu, is not life threatening and does not require medical treatment beyond fever control and oral fluids. For the health and safety of our community, if you are feeling ill with flu symptoms, please stay home and separate yourself from others. For more information from the CDC, WY Department of Health, and Teton County Health Department, visit www.stjohns.health/coronavirus for links to websites and hotlines.

Here is additional important information for Teton County residents, workers, and visitors:

Given the high rate of contagiousness of COVID-19, St. John’s Health has implemented new measures to control spread of the illness to health care workers and people most likely to experience severe illness.

• Beginning Wednesday, March 11, we ask that individuals with fever, cough, or influenza-like illness, regardless of travel history, call 307-739-4898, option 3, for a phone evaluation. To help contain the spread of COVID-19 in our community, you should NOT come to St. John’s Health clinics or hospital unless directed in the phone evaluation to do so. Health professionals on our call-line can discuss your symptoms with you and address many concerns over the phone to determine if self-care at home, medical attention, or testing is warranted. You should also call our COVID-19 line for a phone evaluation if you have had close contact with a person known to have COVID-19 or if you have traveled within the last 14 days to a country with widespread sustained transmission. The call-line will be staffed Monday–Friday, 8:30 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday–Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• If you have shortness of breath or are unable to catch your breath, call 911 or go to St. John’s Emergency Department at 625 E. Broadway. It is important that you call the Emergency Department at 307-739-4898, option 1, before your arrival to receive instructions on using a separate entrance (to prevent potential exposures in public areas of the hospital) and to allow the staff to prepare for your arrival.

There is no vaccine for COVID-19 at this time. If any patient requires testing for COVID-19, as determined by the phone evaluation, specimens will be collected by specially trained staff and sent to outside laboratories for testing.

For the protection of our Living Center residents and staff, non-essential visitation from the public has been restricted, and additional safety precautions for staff have been implemented.

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Media contact:

Karen Connelly, Chief Communications Officer, St. John’s Health, 307.739.7380, kconnelly@tetonhospital.org