Emergency Room remains open to all

Don’t be afraid to visit with your provider if you have a health concern

Healthcare professionals worry residents may not be seeking the medical help they need in a timely manner.

If you have urgent healthcare needs, don’t hesitate to go to the Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Emergency Room or call 911.

“Our Emergency Room is able to treat all patients who require emergency assistance, and have full capability to transfer patients who require a higher level of care to hospitals in Utah if necessary,” said Sweetwater Memorial Chief Medical Officer Dr. Melinda Poyer.

Until recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had restrictions on elective procedures. CMS recently lifted some of those restrictions, and more elective surgeries are now being permitted.

“If you have complications after surgery performed at any medical facility, including MHSC, we are here for you. Please know that our Emergency Room is open,” Poyer said. “If you are having a medical emergency, we are here to help you.”

Like many healthcare professionals nationwide, Poyer and Melissa Anderson, MHSC Acute Care Services & Emergency Services Director, said Sweetwater Memorial providers understand there can be a lot of fear surrounding a trip to the Emergency Room or to a doctor’s office.

“Don’t suffer at home with an illness if you need care,” Anderson said. “I don’t want people staying home, only to have their condition deteriorate. We’re here to help them.”

At Sweetwater Memorial, as well as all of its Specialty Clinics, every patient and staff member is screened before entering the building. Everyone must have a temperature scan and wear a mask. It is Sweetwater Memorial’s goal to keep patients and staff healthy and to avoid hospitalizations.

“I believe there are some fears surrounding the many facets of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Anderson said. “Every time you read the newspaper, every time you look at your Facebook feed, every time you watch national or state news, it’s there. You can’t get away from it. It’s terrifying. It scares me, too. The messaging is to stay home and socially distance, but not at the expense of your well-being and health.”

Community members must make sure they are getting the healthcare they need in a timely manner.

“We’re not seeing as many cardiac cases,” she said. “We’re not seeing people with neurological symptoms. Sometimes it’s not just a headache. Just because we are in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t mean strokes, heart attacks, and any other serious medical conditions have stopped.”

There is concern that patients with a severe illness could suffer permanent damage to their health if they are avoiding going to the Emergency Room or to their regular healthcare provider.

If you experience a change in your health, even if you don’t think it is serious, healthcare providers want you to have it checked out.

“It may not seem serious, but at some level it should be evaluated,” Anderson said. “And, that evaluation doesn’t have to be with the hospital or its clinics. If you’re concerned, come in to the ER and talk to one of our triage nurses. We can get you pointed in the right direction.”

Continue to see your primary care provider. Many now provide telehealth services for those who don’t feel comfortable going to a clinic.

If you do not have a primary care provider, stop by Sweetwater Walk-In Clinic or call 307-212-7555. It’s open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 3000 College Drive. For an appointment – in person or via telehealth – with a primary care provider at Family & Occupational Medicine Clinic of Sweetwater Memorial, call 307-352-7708.

If you are currently scheduled for a visit with your primary care provider and you have not been called to reschedule, please know that the Specialty Clinics of Sweetwater Memorial have taken great care to minimize your potential exposure. Providers remain available to see you for your ongoing health care needs.

There also are phone lines and websites available to get information on COVID-19:

• Sweetwater Memorial Nurse Triage Line: If you have questions about a health issue, have a temperature of 100 or greater or a cough, call your provider or Sweetwater Memorial’s Nurse Triage Line at 307-522-8523.
• Sweetwater County Emergency Operations Center: If you have questions about travel, lodging, food or other issues related to COVID-19, call 307-212-5440 or call 311.
• Websites: More health and community updates can be found at sweetwatermemorial.com, sweetwater311.org, covid19.wyo.gov, and cdc.gov.