Jefferson Community Health & Life is now partnering with Med-Plan Payment Processing for hospital and outpatient services billing. Med-Plan is an extension of our business office. Bills can be paid to JCH&L at PO Box 277, or at our main business office at 2200 H St. in Fairbury.

For the convenience of our patients, Med-Plan Payment Processing offers online bill payment. Med-Plan Payment Processing is also happy to work with you to provide payment plans.

Because our previous partner was Avadyne, patients may still receive statements from Avadyne, and should continue to work with Avadyne on these bills. Avadyne will also continue to work with patients on previously established payment plans.

If you have questions about your bill for hospital or outpatient services, please call Jefferson Community Health & Life at 402.729.3351.

JCH&L Fairbury Clinic bills are paid directly to the clinic. Payment may be mailed to JCH&L Fairbury Clinic, 825 22nd St., PO Box 196, Fairbury, NE 68352. If you would like to pay by credit card or debit card, you may pay by phone by calling 402-729-3361, extension 1.

If you have questions about your Fairbury Clinic bill or would like to make payment arrangements, please call 402-729-3361, extension 7114.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage patients to take advantage of making payments by mail, online, or credit or debit card over the phone.

JCH&L Fairbury Clinic will offer virtual visits beginning Monday, March 23. Virtual visits will offer a great option for patients to be seen by a family medicine provider without leaving their home.

Virtual visits may be used for any type of medical concern. They could be especially helpful for those who have symptoms they feel might indicate COVID-19.

Virtual visits will be submitted to insurance, just as a regular office visit would, but are less costly than office visits. Regular deductibles and copays apply. The patient must have a smartphone or other type of device, such as laptop (must have camera and microphone), iPad, or tablet. If a patient is going to use a family member’s device, they will need to know the phone number or email when they make their appointment.

The process is simple:

• Call JCH&L Fairbury Clinic at 402-729-3361 and dial 1 to make an appointment.
• Staff will need to know your name, cell phone number or email (if you wish to use a laptop), and symptoms or the reason for the visit. They will ask if there a provider you prefer to see.
• The clinic staff will send you a link. At about 10 minutes prior to your appointment time, you will follow the link.
• If you are an established patient you do not need to fill out the demographic information online.
• You will sign a consent and be put in the virtual “waiting room” until your medical provider joins you.
• If you require testing, you will receive instructions from your medical provider.
• Once the appointment is complete, if you need a prescription, the clinic staff will transmit the prescriptions to your pharmacy of choice.

“We are excited to be able to offer this new virtual visit option to our patients,” said Erin Starr, chief nursing officer at Jefferson Community Health & Life. “As our society works to reduce and delay the spread of COVID-19, virtual visits are a way to seek medical care from your own home.”

To make an appointment, dial 402-729-3361 and choose option 1. If you have general questions about the process, please call patient services at 402-729-3361, and choose option 2.

Jefferson Community Health & Life continues to expand its precautionary measures in preparation for possible cases of COVID-19. To date, no cases have been identified in Jefferson County or surrounding counties, but the Nebraska number of cases diagnosed continues to grow. In order to protect our staff, patients, residents, and customers, JCH&L is taking the following measures.

As of Friday, March 20:

• JCH&L Plymouth Clinic will be closed until further notice.
• Reduced price blood screenings scheduled for March 23-27 in Fairbury and Plymouth have been cancelled.
• Outpatient visits, surgeries and procedures with several specialists have been cancelled for next week: Podiatry (Dr. Williamson), orthopedic (Dr. Harris), and cataracts (Dr. Sutton). All patients with appointments are being contacted.

Reminders of precautions already in place:

• JCH&L Burkley Fitness Center is closed.
• JCH&L Fairbury Clinic is scheduling patients who have respiratory symptoms in the afternoons, and patients without respiratory symptoms in the mornings. Injections and blood pressure checks will also be in the morning.
• The clinics ask that only one other person accompany any patient to the clinic for appointments.
• JCH&L Fairbury and Plymouth clinics will no longer take walk-ins. Same day appointments are typically available. Please call 402-729-3361 to make a Fairbury Clinic appointment, and
  402-729-6888 to make a Plymouth Clinic appointment.
• Patients are encouraged NOT to drop bill payments off at the clinics. Please call for other alternatives.
• Bryan Heart Institute will not be having clinics at JCH&L Outpatient Services effective immediately until further notice.
• JCH&L Gardenside and Cedarwood are CLOSED to all non-essential personnel, including family members.

• The JCH&L cafeteria is closed to the public. It will remain open only to staff.
• Hospital visitors are limited to 2 per patient room. All will be screened for recent travel to areas of high incidence/community spread, signs and symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat), and whether they have had any contact with persons who have been diagnosed or are under investigation for having COVID-19.
• Hospital visitors may use the main entrance from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or the ER/Outpatient Entrance (pick up the phone to reach the nurses station) from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• All support groups and outside programs have been postponed until further notice. This includes Parkinson’s Support Group, Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, Health Today and Smart Moves lifestyle change program
• Sterling Connection trips for March and April have been cancelled.
• Patients for all services continue to be screened. Hospital or clinic patients with positive screening results will be cared for appropriately and given guidance and direction. Non-essential services may be rescheduled.
• Patients who have symptoms of possible respiratory illness are encouraged to call for screening over the telephone before arriving at any medical facility.

Jefferson Community Health & Life is expanding its precautionary measures in preparation for possible cases of COVID-19. To date, no cases have been identified in Jefferson County or surrounding counties, but the Nebraska number of cases diagnosed continues to grow. In order to protect our staff, patients, residents, and customers, JCH&L is taking the following measures.

As of Monday, March 16:

• JCH&L Gardenside and Cedarwood are CLOSED to all non-essential personnel, including family members. Both were closed to visitors as of Saturday, March 14, because of new restrictions from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS.)

Starting Tuesday, March 17:

• The JCH&L cafeteria will be closed to the public. It will remain open only to staff.
• Hospital visitors will be limited to 2 per patient room. All will be screened for recent travel to areas of high incidence/community spread, signs and symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat), and whether they have had any contact with persons who have been diagnosed or are under investigation for having COVID-19.
• Hospital visitors may use the main entrance from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or the ER/Outpatient Entrance (pick up the phone to reach the nurses station) from 4:30 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• JCH&L Burkley Fitness Center will be open regular hours, but access will be only from the activity court door. JCH&L Burkley Fitness Center members/users will not be allowed to access JCH&L from the fitness center. All fitness center classes are suspended until further notice.
• All support groups and outside programs have been postponed until further notice. This includes Parkinson’s Support Group, Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group, Health Today and Smart Moves lifestyle change program
• Sterling Connection trips for March and April have been cancelled.
• Patients for all services continue to be screened. Hospital or clinic patients with positive screening results will be cared for appropriately and given guidance and direction. Non-essential services may be rescheduled.
• Patients who have symptoms of possible respiratory illness are encouraged to call for screening over the telephone before arriving at any medical facility.

“We are staying abreast of the latest information from the Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and we are working with state and local public health officials,” said Vic Lee, interim CEO at JCH&L. “We ask that our community understand that the situation continues to evolve and change rapidly, and we are making the best decisions we can to protect and care for our area residents, staff and community. Precautionary measures will continue to change as we receive new information on COVID-19.”

Jefferson Community Health & Life is taking precautionary measures and preparing for possible cases of COVID-19. While a small number cases have been identified in Nebraska, none have been identified to date in Jefferson County or surrounding counties.

As of Wednesday, March 11, JCH&L was discouraging visitors to Gardenside and Cedarwood, as the residents and tenants are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 and influenza, which remains active in the area. Anyone who must visit Gardenside or Cedarwood, and patients at any JCH&L facilities, are now being screened for COVID-19 risk factors.

Screening questions include:

• Have you traveled to China, Iran, Italy or South Korea or have you been on a cruise ship recently?
• Do you have any signs or symptoms of respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat)?
• Have you had contact with someone who has COVID-19 or who is under investigation for COVID-19?
• Do you live in a community where community-based spread of COVID-19 is occurring?

Anyone who has any of these risk factors will not be allowed to visit Gardenside or Cedarwood. JCH&L continues to require masking for any visitors to Gardenside or Cedarwood who have not been vaccinated for influenza.

Hospital or clinic patients with positive screening results will be cared for appropriately and given guidance and direction. Non-essential services may be rescheduled.

Patients who have symptoms of possible respiratory illness are encouraged to call for screening over the telephone before arriving at any medical facility.

“The health and wellness of our residents and tenants and the caregiving team who support them is our number one priority,” said Vic Lee, interim CEO at JCH&L. “We are staying abreast of the latest information from the Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and we are working with state and local public health officials.”

We will be educating staff and residents and families on symptom awareness for COVID-19, and infection control best practices.

“We have plans in place for a wide variety of emergencies. These plans continue to be updated and details are changed appropriately as needed for specific possible concerns, such as COVID-19,” Lee said. “Precautionary measures may change as we receive new information on COVID-19.”