Mercy Medical Center opens dedicated clinic for coronavirus, other respiratory illness care

CEDAR RAPIDS - Mercy Medical Center has converted an urgent care facility to a dedicated clinic to care for patients with coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses.

Starting Friday, health system officials have established the respiratory-illness-only site at MercyCare Hiawatha Urgent Care.

The clinic on Boyson Road - available only to patients with a referral - is offering primary and urgent care for individuals in need of testing or treatment for respiratory illness. That includes patients with symptoms that include cough, difficulty breathing, fever and runny nose.

'This site is being established as a centralized location to address the increased number of patients with respiratory illness and to continue regular clinic availability at other locations,” according to a statement. 'In addition, centralizing respiratory illness is another way to help conserve important protective equipment.”

Clinic hours are 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Patients seeking care for non-respiratory symptoms will be directed MercyCare North Urgent Care.

Patients should work through their primary care provider or an urgent care clinic for an initial video visit or assessment over the phone to determine the next steps for their care, Mercy Medical officials said.

Patients without a primary care provider should call Mercy's Find-A-Doc line at (319) 369-4444 or go online to schedule an urgent care video visit.

Those with severe illness or more complex cases should see care at the hospital's Emergency Department at (319) 398-6037.

Comments: (319) 368-8536; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com