Universal masking recommended but no longer required at all Great Plains Health facilities
Contact: Mary Roberts
North Platte, Neb., February 20, 2023 – Universal masking is recommended at all Great Plains Health facilities, although no longer required for patients, visitors and employees at the present time.
This decision comes after consideration of community transmission of COVID-19 in Lincoln County. Transmission is no longer at a high level (red) right now, and has been sustained for two weeks, according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.
Should community transmission rise to a high level again, then required universal masking will be immediately reinstated. Any updates will be shared through social media and by staff at the Great Plains Health facilities that patients visit.
Great Plains Health will continue to offer masks at all entrances for those who wish to wear one, or if required universal masking policy is reinstated.
Great Plains Health follows rigorous infection control standards and ongoing mitigation strategies that meet requirements set by regulatory agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Adhering to the regulations enables GPHealth to provide care to patients under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
“Patient safety is our top priority, and masking was a key tool in ensuring that we helped protect vulnerable populations within our facilities throughout the pandemic,” said Ivan Mitchell, chief executive officer, Great Plains Health. “Data indicates we are at the point where we can re-consider masking requirements, while still utilizing rigorous mitigation strategies.”
Visitors should monitor symptoms and refrain from visiting if they:
- Have a positive test for COVD-19 in the last 10 days
- Have a pending COVID-19 test
- Have symptoms of COVID-19, including chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.
Visitors are permitted, but should still mask, if they have had close contact with someone with COVID-19, for 10 days after their exposure.
Patients should still mask if they have suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection or other respiratory infections with symptoms such as runny nose, coughing or sneezing.
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About Great Plains Health
Based in North Platte, Nebraska, Great Plains Health is a fully accredited, 116-bed acute-care regional medical center serving western and central Nebraska, northern Kansas and southern South Dakota. With 90 physicians representing nearly 30 medical specialties, the Great Plains Health system offers advanced health care, including heart and vascular, cancer, and orthopedic surgery services. Great Plains Health is a Level III trauma center, and all of its emergency department physicians are residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine. The system employs approximately 1,200 employees and serves a geographic area spanning more than 67,000 square miles. The hospital is accredited by the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) and is home to an American College of Surgeons-accredited cancer center and Level II bariatric surgery program. For more information, visit gphealth.org.